Blending

What blending does

Blending puts the ice inside the drink. It is no longer a cold surface around the liquid but part of the body: the result is opaque, thick and close to a sorbet, drinkable through a straw and almost spoonable.

There are two costs. The first is dilution, which is the heaviest of any technique, because every piece of crushed ice stays in the glass. The second is that cold and air mute the palate — the same recipe reads weaker frozen, so acid, sugar and aromatics usually need to be a little more assertive to survive. Texture has to be judged as well: too thin and it is melted snow, too thick and it clings to the jug instead of pouring.

When to blend

• Frozen versions of sours, such as a frozen Daiquiri or a frozen Margarita.
• Recipes with coconut cream, purée or fibrous fruit that must be broken down completely, such as the Piña Colada.
• Several servings at once, when the drink is meant to be thick anyway.

Do not blend an all-spirit recipe: it destroys the clarity and weight that stirring exists to protect. Never put anything carbonated in a blender. It erupts, and it achieves nothing.

Tools

A blender strong enough for ice; a jigger; a spatula; and a glass chilled in advance. If the machine is not built for cubes, use crushed ice or small pieces so the blades keep their grip.

Steps

1. Chill the glass in the freezer, or with ice water.
2. Add the liquids first, then the ice — liquid at the base helps the blades catch.
3. Follow the recipe for the amount of ice; failing that, start with roughly a glassful of crushed ice per serving.
4. Pulse a few times to break up the ice, then run for about fifteen to twenty seconds, until the sound smooths out.
5. Check the texture: it should pour slowly rather than splash or clump. Add a little liquid if it is too thick, more ice and another pulse if it is too thin.
6. Pour into the chilled glass at once, then garnish.

Common mistakes

• Too much ice. The drink is diluted into tasteless snow.
• Running the blender too long. Friction generates heat, the ice melts and the drink can separate.
• Forgetting to chill the glass. A frozen drink collapses very quickly in a warm one.
• Blending ahead of service. It separates on standing, and re-blending only makes it thinner.
• Putting carbonated ingredients in the jug. It goes everywhere.

Examples in the catalogue

The Piña Colada is the obvious case: coconut cream and pineapple juice need to be driven together, and frozen is simply what the drink looks like. The frozen versions of the Daiquiri and the Margarita show how the same recipe becomes another drink when the technique changes — crisp and quick when shaken, heavy and slow when blended.