Forget ice cubes – keep your drinks chilled from the outside in by using simple household equipment to make solid-ice shot glasses. Polymath and YouTuber Cordell von Malegowski explains how.
Stick one end of a duct-tape strip to the inside of a shot glass, and the other on the outside of a lowball glass. Repeat this at four points, making sure that the shot glass is firmly suspended in the middle."Paper cups are too flimsy, and plastic cups don't have enough weight to be accurately centred," explains von Malegowski. "A glass tumbler and shot glass seems to solve the problem."
Fill the void between the glasses with tap water, but be careful not to overfill it. "Regular water expands as it freezes," von Malegowski explains. By leaving the top open, the water will push upwards. If the glass had a lid, it might crack as the water expanded. "As a precaution, a thick-walled glass should be used to ensure nothing goes wrong," suggests von Malegowski.
Von Malegowski uses drops of edible food colouring to introduce a flash of colour to some of his shot glasses. "I did try using fruit juice," he says. "It melted too quickly and it made people's hands sticky." Similarly, alcohol freezes at a lower temperature than water, but a low-proof cocktail mix can be used to make a flavoured glass.
Transfer the filled glass moulds to the freezer for several hours, to allow them to set solid. "I put them on wire racks," says von Malegowski. "A piece of wax paper also prevents the glasses from sticking to the base of a drawer or tray."
To free the ice glasses from the mould, remove the duct tape. Lift out the shot glass, then run the Old Fashioned glass under the tap. This starts to melt the outer layer just enough to loosen it from the glass. Store in the freezer until ready to use. "They're great for outdoor winter parties," explains von Malegowski. "I make a batch before New Year's, then they come out of the freezer for some shots, then go back in."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
