Ice Shot Glasses Are The Gorgeous Way To Elevate Parties

We've all been to a party with an assortment of cheap shot glasses brought back from vacation destinations. Do these glasses get the job done? Sure. Are they cute and match the aesthetic of your festive get-together? Probably not. In the spirit of classy presentation and keeping the theme of your party cohesive, give ice shot glasses a try — you may never look back.

This gorgeous hack is easy and requires low effort for a great payoff. You'll need small paper cups filled halfway with water to create the base of what will be a mold for your ice cube glasses. Then, to create a cavity for the alcohol, use disposable plastic shot glasses and press them into the water, securing them to the top of the paper cups with tape. Let any excess water run out, so it doesn't overflow when freezing. Place the entire mold in the freezer for a few hours until solid and then pop out the plastic and peel away the paper cup to reveal the ice shot glass.

If you're in a rush, learn how to make ice freeze faster, so you can make your shot glasses quickly too. Note that one of the important things to know about ice in cocktails is that it can dilute the flavor, so to keep them from melting into your shot and to retain their shape, leave the ice molds in the freezer until just before use to fully enjoy your ice shot glass.

While making the ice shot glasses already elevates your drink game, why stop there? An easy upgrade is to color the water you're using with food coloring before pouring it into the mold to freeze. The color will make your ice glasses pop while also personalizing them for your party.

You can further customize with color and add more flavor by swapping the water for juice or lemonade — guests will be able to taste the chaser as they drink, making for a more cocktail-like drink experience. This also adds variety to your glasses, so guests can opt for their preferred flavor combination.

The other great way to elevate any drink at a party is through presentation. While making the ice shot glasses is the first step, you can find creative ways to keep them cold, so they're still on display for your guests to admire. If you're having a winter party outdoors, nestle your ice glasses into a bank of snow to keep them cool and on theme. They will still melt eventually, but burying them like you would popsicles in a cooler will keep them intact in style. Dry ice is also great for keeping things cool. While you let your shot glasses rest on top of it to stay frozen, you can also dunk a few dry ice pieces in water to create a smoke machine effect. With a little extra effort, you can combine form and fashion and make the most of your ice shot glasses.