You Might Love Nugget Ice, But Your Cocktails Don't. Here's Why

It used to be that all cocktails came with cubes or chips of ice, but these days, the shape of the ice has become almost as important as the spirits in the drink itself. One of the buzziest varieties is arguably nugget ice, which is also often called chewable ice or Sonic ice because Sonic uses it and its fans think it's a pretty big deal. Not everyone is on board with the nugget trend, however — at least not for every drink. We spoke to Rhon Romero, head bartender for HALL and odo Lounge in New York City who explained that even though you might love nugget ice, your cocktails probably don't.

"Nugget ice is great for blended drinks or syrup-heavy cocktails as it chills quickly and dilutes easily for quick absorption of flavors," said Romero. "Avoid using it in spirit-forward cocktails like an old fashioned, as it melts too fast and dilutes the drink." The reason it's great chewing ice is also why it's a poor choice for a straight drink: It's soft. That means it easily adapts to any shape of glass — and you may get more of it in than larger pieces, so it drops the temperature of the cocktail or mixed drink fast. However, that's exactly the reason you shouldn't use it in anything but blended or syrupy drinks.

While not the best for certain drinks, nugget ice is unique. The bite-sized bits are unlike any everyday, solid cube; instead, they're made by compacting shreds of ice into a pellet shape. The result is a small piece of ice that's more of a mix of air and ice than a solid cube or chip. In addition to being soft, because each piece has a lot of surface area, and easily breaks apart in a drink or your mouth, a scoop of nugget ice can quickly chill any concoction from iced cold brew made in a French press to a classic mai tai. However, this style of ice also melts quickly, which means it can dilute your drinks just as fast as it chills. If you're trying to preserve the integrity of the drink, Rhon Romero said you're probably better off choosing a big, single piece of ice.

"Large, clear ice cubes are ideal for cocktails on the rocks," he said. "They melt slowly, keeping the drink chilled without diluting it too quickly, preserving the flavor balance." So if you're saving up for an expensive nugget ice maker, make sure it's only for ice in sodas and sweet drinks, and be sure to add a big cube silicon mold to your shopping cart!