You may have seen dry ice being used to preserve food, refrigerate, freeze or even to create a smoky, spooky effect. Dry ice is now often used in the creation of extravagant and exuberant cocktails for a thrilling result when served.
You might have also heard about how dangerous dry ice can be, but you may not be fully aware what it is, and wondering what makes it so dangerous?
What is dry ice?
In the most basic terms, dry ice is actually just the solid form of carbon dioxide. It is primarily used as a means of cooling things down, or to create smoky, foggy effects in theatres, films or bars.
Dry ice is often used when transporting refrigerated goods as its extremely low temperatures can keep items very cool for long periods of time!
In general terms, dry ice is actually just cooled and condensed carbon dioxide, as it skips the melting process and sublimates straight back into a gas at room temperature.
The name dry ice is given because of its extremely cold temperature of around -109.3 degrees fahrenheit and the way it looks when in a solid state.
As dry ice is incredibly cold, touching it with your bare hands for prolonged periods of time will result in an injury similar to a burn, or you can even get frostbite from it, so make sure that you are always cautious when around it.
Can you consume dry ice?
The most important thing to consider when using dry ice is how dangerous it is. As previously stated, dry ice is a form of carbon dioxide gas, and therefore should not be consumed in any way.
It should never be allowed to enter the mouth, be consumed or swallowed as it could have catastrophic effects on your health and wellbeing.
You should refrain from trying to eat dry ice, or swallow any as you will be ingesting dangerous levels of carbon dioxide. That being said, dry ice is often used to create smoking effects on cocktails and drinks, but you should be very cautious.
If consuming a drink with dry ice, you should always wait for the ice to completely melt away and for the smoking effect to stop before drinking it.
Can you put dry ice in a drink?
With this in mind, it is clear that you can put dry ice in a drink safely, as long as it is prepared accurately, and you avoid ingesting the ice. Dry ice is safe to use in exciting, unique cocktails and will not alter or change the flavor in any way.
The purpose of using dry ice in a drink is mainly to keep it chilled and to give the cool, trendy look of a smoking cocktail. These often look great around Halloween time, when the smoke can create a foggy, spooky atmosphere!
How to put dry ice in a drink
If you want to create that effect of billowing smoke for yourself, then you can use dry ice with these easy steps! If you manage to get your hands on a block of dry ice, then you will have to use it within 24 hours as it melts away and turns back into a gas very quickly!
Remember that you should never touch dry ice with your bare hands or skin as dry ice melts as it warms back up and will cause frostbite or burns on the skin. If possible, use gloves for the best results, or utilize tongs when using small cubes for cocktails and drinks.
You will also need to use a hammer or screwdriver to chisel away at the block of dry ice in order to get your cubes of dry ice ready for drinks. You can then drop the cubes into the bottom of the cocktail glass with tongs for safety.
Then, add your cocktail mixture and serve up with the ‘smoke’ falling over the sides of the glass like a flowing waterfall.
It is highly vital that you do not consume the drink straight away or come in contact with the dry ice. It is best to wait for the smoking effect to stop, and for the ice to disintegrate and melt away fully before drinking.
This is to ensure that there is no more dry ice present and that you are able to consume the drink safely.
How to make a dry ice cocktail
If you think you are up to the challenge, and want to try your (gloved) hand at using dry ice, then why not make your own spooky cocktail, by impressing your guests with this recipe for a Poison Apple Cocktail.
To perfect and create this cocktail, you will need dry ice cubes, apple cider, vodka, lemon juice and pomegranate juice. You can also purchase a little black sugar or salt for decorating the rim of your cocktail glass!
This recipe is so easy to make, the first step is to rim your glass with some black sugar, then fill a cocktail shaker with ice, a ½ cup of apple cider, 2 oz of vodka, 2 tablespoons of pomegranate juice and a dash of lemon juice.
Shake the contents together, and strain into a martini glass or cocktail glass. Then, add a small cube of dry ice, and watch the smoke billow over the top. Garnish with a slice of poison apple, and you will have a witchy delight ready to serve!
Finally, you can add a dry ice swizzle stick for your smoky, spooky concoction to have fun with the dry ice!
