Dry ice without a doubt causes the coolest cocktails. At negative 109 degrees Fahrenheit, its extreme cold temperatures can make it dangerous if you don’t know how to handle it. I was always terrified of using dry ice but I did a ton of research before my Haunted Mansion-themed Halloween party and now have confidently used dry ice in cocktails for years. I was frustrated that it took me so many years to figure out how easy it is to use and handle so I’ve compiled everything I wish I’d known for you here. However, dry ice is dangerous when not handled properly so read this entire article and be extremely careful if you choose to use dry ice in drinks.
Can I safely use dry ice in drinks?
Yes! Dry ice sinks to the bottom of drinks and doesn’t harm your drink at all. In fact, you’ll have the most well-chilled cocktail of your life. What you don’t want to do is to consume the dry ice in its solid form. Let me repeat: do not consume dry ice in its solid form. Luckily it sinks and stays out of your way and once it’s done smoking, it’s totally gone.
Note: I still would not serve it to children, who might tilt a glass too far and let the solid form touch their lips. If you do want to serve dry ice to kiddos, there are some cool containers available online that you can use to contain the dry ice until it evaporates but personally, I would not serve dry ice to children.
You’re telling me I can absolutely put dry ice chunks directly in drinks?
Yes, you absolutely can. It will fully evaporate in about ten minutes leaving no trace of it in your drink. If there is a stubborn piece that won’t evaporate, discard the drink and start over so that no one accidentally swallows solid dry ice.
How does dry ice work?
Dry ice skips the liquid stage of melting and goes straight from solid to gas so as soon as it hits liquid of any kind, the solid chunks of ice turn into smoke. Once it’s done smoking, the dry ice has completely evaporated and is no longer in your drink, leaving a perfectly safe, well chilled drink!
What kind of drinks work best?
Juice-based drinks and cocktails work best. I tried dry ice in an iced coffee with milk and it looked like a science experiment, so avoid dairy drinks in your dry ice cocktails. I did successfully put it in straight orange juice for a Halloween breakfast and it worked perfectly! I’ve not tried dry ice yet with carbonation but I’m thinking we should avoid that. You can also use it in wine for a super well-chilled white or rosé!
What are the best dry ice recipes?
Some of my favorite dry ice cocktails are Foolish Mortal (green), All Hallow’s Eve Martini (black), The Hocus Pocus (purple), and my spooky old fashioned theme after The Vampire Diaries, Hello Brother. I really loved how the dry ice looked spilling out of the martini glass for my All Hallow’s Eve Martini!
Where can I buy dry ice?
Many grocery stores carry dry ice. I get mine at my local Kroger. It’s in a special storage container. You’ll want to pick it up by the top part of the bag so that you aren’t touching the ice. Alternatively, you could also wear latex gloves to be safe. Penguin dry ice has a handy locator tool here.
How far ahead should I buy dry ice?
Dry ice will completely evaporate in 24 hours so it’s best to buy it as close to the party as possible. I try to get it just a few hours before my party.
How should I store dry ice?
DO NOT put it in the fridge or freezer. I know that’s counterintuitive because it’s ice but dry ice is so cold that it doesn’t need (and shouldn’t be) chilled in any way. Dry ice releases carbon dioxide and should not be kept in an air-tight container. It could cause it to explode! The best thing to do is to set it in an empty ice chest (as in, no additional ice is needed) with the lid off and out of reach from kids and pets. Keep the bag sealed until right before serving. I keep the leftover dry ice bag back in the ice chest and left it in the garage overnight.
It’ll keep longer if you only break chip off what you need, leaving a large hunk overnight. If you have some leftover the next day, put it in your morning juice! I mean honestly, why not?
How should I transfer it?
If your drive from the store to your house is more than ten minutes, open your car windows. You don’t want dry ice to be in a small, closed space. I like to throw my styrofoam ice chest in the car and just set the dry ice in that so it’s not directly on my car seat.
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What tools do I need to have on hand for my party?
Make sure you have latex gloves, a hammer, tongs, and a towel. Put the gloves on before you work with dry ice just to be safe. Lift the bag by the top plastic part, set on one-half of a towel, tear the bag to it’s open by a couple inches, lay the other half of the towel on top, and use a hammer to gently break dry ice into chunks. I like fairly large chunks, about 2-3 inches in diameter. Tear the bag open and use tongs to set dry into your cocktail.
Note: be extra careful with this step if you have pets. Set a towel on top so no chunks fall on the floor. No human or animal should consume solid dry ice. It’s extremely dangerous. Do not let pets eat dry ice!
What should I expect putting dry ice in a cocktail or drink?
Have the camera ready because it will start smoking immediately! It looks best for the first 3-5 minutes or so but will continue to bubble and smoke slightly for up to ten minutes. You can technically drink it while it’s still smoking and bubbling but be careful. You’ll be able to see the dry ice hunk at the bottom of your glass. Out of ten cocktails, one of my friends’ hunk turned into slush at the bottom of the glass. To be safe, I poured water on top of it and tossed it in the cooler to dispose of the slush. It smoked and evaporated. Remember: you do not want to consume any solid form of dry ice. The safest thing to do is to ooh and ahh while it’s smoking and drink it after the smoking is done.
Here’s a brief video on dry ice safety:
I hope you found this information useful! With a few safe handling tips, dry ice can be a fun and fabulous addition to your party. Browse my entire Halloween section here.
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Read more about my Haunted Mansion dinner party here, my Classic Halloween dinner here, and Hocus Pocus party here. Watch The Rose Table Disney Dinners Haunted Mansion:
Happy haunting,
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