Here at the SelfEco office, three things are going through our minds today:

1.  It's HOT outside. 88° today in MN. Just 1° below the all time high record.
2.  It's National #BeverageDay, on a Friday.
3.  It's almost time for a cold cocktail.

We have the inside scoop on the right shape of ice to use for your #BeverageDay cocktails. Before we get into the list, here is a super quick background on ice science:

Ice influences two crucial components: temperature and the influx of water – otherwise known as dilution. While a well-maintained temperature is desirable, no one wants a watered down cocktail. For most drinks, the “melt rate” battle can present an issue. This refers to the speed at which the ice melts over the course of drinking a cocktail. Feeble traditional ice cubes will dilute a drink faster because more cubes equals more surface area through which the ice can absorb the heat, thus quickening the melt rate. That’s just simple math, folks.

King Cube or Sphere

Cubes and spheres are what you’ll typically find in most cocktail bars these days. Perfect for constantly cold temperatures and less dilution, in either spherical or cubical form, this form of ice is great for a high-end spirit or a cocktail in a rocks glass. Not to mention, large cubes or spheres are the easiest way to impress everyone at your cocktail party.

Perfect Cubes

These cubes can be shaken or stirred to create a great drink. These cubes melt slightly faster than King Cubes or Spheres. The kind where you start sipping, look away for a second to check your Instagram, and literally seconds later all traces of the drink have completely disappeared. These drinks are gone so quickly anyway, that worrying about smaller cubes melting isn't even part of your thought process.

Cylinder or Ice Spears

Offering a pretty piece of ice ideal for a taller glass (like a Collins or Highball) to show off its height and form, this larger chunk of ice works well with drinks that do not require much dilution. And they just look plain awesome in a tall glass.

Crushed Ice

Are large cubes of cocktail ice getting a bit boring? There's an ice solution for that. Perfect for tiki drinks, juleps, and the always tasty mojito, crushed ice can be made two ways. The more strenuous method is to put freezer ice into a bag and whack at it with a mallet or a muddler until it is crushed to your liking. The easier way is to use an ice crushing machine and save yourself the physical labor and time.

Reference Articles:
https://www.kegworks.com/blog/craft-cocktail-ice/
http://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/guide-to-cocktail-ice-shapes-article