Smoking and Flaming Drinks - Tiki Drinks and Food

K KuKuAhu Member Kahiki, Ohio Joined: Dec 23, 2002 Posts: 567	K KuKuAhu Posted posted on Fri, Nov 5, 2004 8:22 PM Old topic revival, sorry... There was local bar (now defunct) that used to serve several cocktails with dry ice in them. There really is no trick to it. The only caveat in the process is to insure the use of straws for bowl drinks and regular ice for drinks in glasses (straws here wouldn't hurt either). A "puck" or some "cubes" of dry ice is placed into the glass first and then topped with water ice. This keeps it from floating up from the bottom of the glass. Then you simply strain the drink into it, add straw and serve. The "smoke" will appear regardless of whether the drink is hot or cold. In fact, the only way one could get "maximum smoking" to take place would be to run heated liquid over the dry ice repeatedly, as its super-cold temperature rapidly cools any liquid it comes in contact with and this rapid boil ceases. Most folks assume that because they dumped hot water on it and got a huge burst of "smoke", that this would be the way to go. In truth, this is only the case in the short term. Try the same technique, but test the temperature of the hot water within 3-5 minutes. Provided you have used a sufficient ratio of dry ice to liquid (such that it is not all turned to gas upon intitial exposure), you'll find the water turned lukewarm at best rather quickly. Yes, the smoke effect is lessened in a cold served drink, the bubbles will produce smoking effects when they burst, and as the drink warms a bit, the smoke will increase a tad. It was never meant to be a huge cauldron effect when one is pouring into a highball glass. Rather, a subtle and kooky boiling fog should occur. As for bowls, it's all about the quantity and the wait. If you float a large flat hunk (lots of surface area) into a cold punch bowl, you'll get a reasonable amount of the "witch doctor brew" thing you are looking for in a short time. Share the bowl via straws. Do not ladle this drink into cups though unless you use the flat chunk as described. One is tempted to use crushed bits to get the surface area I mentioned and thus more fog. If ladeling is your intention, then you must use straws for the cups or a big piece of dry ice that won't accidentally wind up on someone's lips after everybody is sauced. As a side note, when you get your order of dry ice, don a pair of good gloves and grab a small chunk. Press this against any resonant metal surface (tubular steel railings work well) and move it around a bit and you should get a tremendous shreiking hissing noise like bad brakes on an old truck. Cool! Ahu

Old topic revival, sorry...

There was local bar (now defunct) that used to serve several cocktails with dry ice in them.

There really is no trick to it. The only caveat in the process is to insure the use of straws for bowl drinks and regular ice for drinks in glasses (straws here wouldn't hurt either).

A "puck" or some "cubes" of dry ice is placed into the glass first and then topped with water ice. This keeps it from floating up from the bottom of the glass. Then you simply strain the drink into it, add straw and serve.

The "smoke" will appear regardless of whether the drink is hot or cold. In fact, the only way one could get "maximum smoking" to take place would be to run heated liquid over the dry ice repeatedly, as its super-cold temperature rapidly cools any liquid it comes in contact with and this rapid boil ceases.

Most folks assume that because they dumped hot water on it and got a huge burst of "smoke", that this would be the way to go. In truth, this is only the case in the short term.

Try the same technique, but test the temperature of the hot water within 3-5 minutes. Provided you have used a sufficient ratio of dry ice to liquid (such that it is not all turned to gas upon intitial exposure), you'll find the water turned lukewarm at best rather quickly.

Yes, the smoke effect is lessened in a cold served drink, the bubbles will produce smoking effects when they burst, and as the drink warms a bit, the smoke will increase a tad.

It was never meant to be a huge cauldron effect when one is pouring into a highball glass. Rather, a subtle and kooky boiling fog should occur.

As for bowls, it's all about the quantity and the wait.

If you float a large flat hunk (lots of surface area) into a cold punch bowl, you'll get a reasonable amount of the "witch doctor brew" thing you are looking for in a short time.

Share the bowl via straws. Do not ladle this drink into cups though unless you use the flat chunk as described. One is tempted to use crushed bits to get the surface area I mentioned and thus more fog. If ladeling is your intention, then you must use straws for the cups or a big piece of dry ice that won't accidentally wind up on someone's lips after everybody is sauced.

As a side note, when you get your order of dry ice, don a pair of good gloves and grab a small chunk. Press this against any resonant metal surface (tubular steel railings work well) and move it around a bit and you should get a tremendous shreiking hissing noise like bad brakes on an old truck.

Cool!

Ahu

Post #123876 by KuKuAhu on Fri, Nov 5, 2004 8:22 PM