Plenty of the best summer drinks want crushed ice: a mint julep, a Moscow mule in a copper mug, a cobbler, a proper bramble. Ordinary cubes just sit there in the glass, and the drink never gets that frosty, slightly slushy feel.
Most people’s first move is the blender. It works, sort of, but you end up with a mix of powder and big chunks, a puddle of meltwater at the bottom of the jug, and a lot of noise for two drinks. Some blenders also really don’t like dry ice cubes.
Use a Lewis bag
A Lewis bag is a thick canvas bag you fill with ice, fold shut, and hit with a wooden mallet. That’s it. It sounds primitive, and it is, but there’s a good reason bars still use them: the canvas soaks up the water that comes off the ice as you smash it, so what you tip out is dry and crunchy rather than wet.
The Viski Professional Lewis Ice Bag and Mallet is a good example of the type. You get a canvas bag with a flap closure and a 12 inch beechwood mallet. Nothing to plug in, nothing to wash apart from rinsing the bag, and once it’s dry it folds flat into a drawer.
How to get the texture you want
- Don’t overfill it. A couple of handfuls at a time crushes more evenly than a full bag.
- Fold the flap over properly before you start, or you’ll find ice under the fridge for days.
- Hit it on a chopping board or a folded tea towel, not straight onto a stone worktop.
- A few firm whacks gives you pebbles. Keep going for something closer to snow.
Looking after the bag
Tip any leftover ice out straight away and hang the bag somewhere it can dry fully before you fold it, otherwise canvas that stays damp in a drawer starts to smell. A rinse under the cold tap is all it needs between uses. The mallet is plain beech, so keep it out of the dishwasher.
And maybe don’t start bashing at midnight if you share a wall with the neighbours. Find the Viski Lewis bag and mallet on Amazon.
