Buzz
Ever found yourself in a last-minute situation where you need to chill your drinks before guests arrive? It's a common party emergency. Here's how to quickly chill your drinks and keep the good times rolling.
Steps
Chilling Using Salted Ice Water
Prepare a sturdy glass bowl filled with ice and water. The thicker the bowl, the better it'll retain cold. Make sure the drinks can be submerged but don't overfill with ice. A 50/50 ice-water ratio works well for a few drinks; for larger quantities, consider using a cooler or even the bathtub.
Sprinkle a dash of salt into the water. Just a small amount is needed. The salt helps lower the freezing point of the water, enhancing its ability to absorb heat from the drinks and cool them down faster.
Submerge your beverages in the salted ice water mixture and briskly stir them. Stirring aids in the rapid transfer of heat from the drinks to the surrounding cold solution.
Allow approximately two minutes for chilling. After this brief period, the drinks should have noticeably cooled. If necessary, continue stirring for an additional minute or two to achieve the desired temperature.
Transfer your chilled beverage into a glass. It should now be perfectly chilled, ready to quench your thirst and that of your guests. For carbonated drinks like soda, allow some time for the fizz to settle before pouring.
Chilling with a Damp Paper Towel
Dampen a paper towel large enough to wrap around your entire beverage. Adjust the size of the paper towel based on the size of your drink; smaller drinks may require half a paper towel, while larger ones may need a full or even two.
Completely encase the drink with the damp paper towel. Ensure the paper towel remains securely wrapped around the beverage.
Position the wrapped drink in the freezer and allow it to chill for approximately 15 minutes.
Retrieve the chilled beverage from the freezer and enjoy. The paper towel may have partially frozen; if you desire continued cooling, leave it on the drink. For serving purposes, remove the damp paper towel before presenting.
Helpful Advice
- Ensure to rinse the top of the can with clean, drinkable water before consuming the beverage. Residual salt on the can lid might impart an overly salty taste to the drink.
- If you're lacking salt, using plain water with ice is still more effective than ice alone for chilling containers. Liquid water conducts heat far better than air (by several magnitudes), and ice alone doesn't cover much of the container's surface area.
- This technique far surpasses merely dropping ice cubes into warm coke. Adding ice directly to the drink dilutes it and diminishes its fizz and crisp flavor.
Cautions
- Carbonated cans may build up pressure if rapidly stirred in ice water. Opening them before the carbonation settles could result in a fizzy mess.
Essentials
- Canned or bottled beverages
- Bowl
- Water
- Ice cubes
- Salt
- Thermometer (Optional)
