Creative ice cocktails are transforming mixology in 2025, turning the most overlooked ingredient into a star of the bar world. In a cocktail, every element matters — from the spirits to the garnish. And ice is no exception. That modest cube doesn’t just cool your drink — it shapes flavor, texture, and presentation. From Amsterdam to Paris, inventive uses of ice are turning drinks into multi-sensory experiences.
Sebastian Cichowlas, founder of FLAN and winner of Best Bartender 2024 by Entree Magazine, puts it simply:
“Ice usually makes up about one-third of your cocktail. It’s not an afterthought — it’s an essential ingredient that can make or break the balance of a drink. Ice influences the temperature, the visual appeal, and flavor — if used properly.”
Adding Flavor
At Rosalia’s Menagerie in Amsterdam, the team experimented with enhancing cocktails using flavored ice. For their Citrus Grove, a nostalgic nod to the ACE carrot-orange juice, they use Rutte Kaffir Lime Gin, celery cordial, and Siete Misterios Mezcal — but instead of regular cubes, the drink is chilled with a frozen orb of orange juice. As it melts, the cocktail slowly develops subtle citrus notes. Head bartender Luca Acquaviva explains that guests were often left with a large orange sphere at the end. Their solution? Transform the leftover into a surprise second serve: the frozen orb is blended with Campari into a bittersweet slushie. “So nothing goes to waste.”
Tetris in a Glass
At Door74, color and flavor combine in the Aztec Arcade, a clarified twist on the Piña Colada. Inspired by the puzzle game Treasure of Montezuma, bar manager Giulia Gervasoni designed a cocktail served with cubes in different colors and flavors: white coconut, red fig, and yellow lime. “As you drink, you can stir the cubes in or nibble on them,” she says. “Each adds a new layer of flavor along the way.”
Italian Inspiration
Ice can also transform a cocktail’s texture. Drawing from the Italian classic sgroppino, Luca Acquaviva developed the Midsummer Sgroppino, combining a scoop of red fruit and dark chocolate sorbet with a sparkling soda built on Toki whisky, Laphroaig, Disaronno, and Crémant de Bourgogne. The result is sweet, smoky, and refreshing — with a rich yet airy texture only sorbet can create.
Straight from the Freezer
Not all innovation adds more ice — some bars are eliminating it entirely. When Ryan Chetiyawardana opened White Lyan in London in 2013, the radical idea was no citrus, no fruit, and no ice. That approach is making a comeback. In Paris, La Vie now serves cocktails in specially designed vessels that keep drinks chilled without ice. Meanwhile, at Fitz’s Bar, bar manager Nick Vrielink perfects his Freezer Martini by serving it directly from a -5°C (23°F) freezer. “That temperature makes the first sip incredibly smooth,” he says. “As the drink warms slightly, individual flavors begin to unfold.”
The Future of Ice in Cocktails
Whether through flavored cubes, sorbet serves, or freezer-fresh precision, bartenders are proving that ice is far from neutral. In 2025, creative ice cocktails are shaping the future of cocktail culture.
