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How To Chill Glassware

By Colleen Graham, About.com

Chilled Glass

Chilled Glass

Photo Credit: © Christopher Woods
Using a chilled glass will keep your cocktails crisp and cool longer and adds aesthetics to the final presentation. I recommend frosting all highball and cocktail glasses, even if you only do a quick chill. You will never regret using a chilled glass.

There are three common ways to chill glassware...

Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 5 minutes- 3 hours

Here's How:

  1. Put the glasses in the freezer for a couple of hours or the refrigerator for 3-4 hours. Take the glasses out immediately after you have shaken your cocktail or before mixing a stirred drink.
    *This method is the preferred way to chill because the glass will stay cold longer.

  2. If a refrigerator is not available fill an ice bucket with ice and plunge the bowl of the glass into the ice. Leave this sit for 15-30 minutes for a really good chill.

  3. If you cannot chill a glass using either of those two methods, fill the glass with cracked or crushed ice and swirl it around. Dump the ice and pour the drink in the glass. This swirling works well with cocktail glasses. For highball, old-fashioned and collins glasses fill them to the brim with ice for a few minutes and then dump the ice.
    *This is a good quick step to do for glasses that you have chilled with either of the above methods to ensure the chill lasts.

What You Need:

  • Glassware
  • Freezer or Refrigerator
  • Ice Cubes
  • Ice Bucket
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