Brighten Up Your Favorite Cocktails With Floral Ice

Whether you're smack dab in the burning heart of summer or shivering your timbers off in the dead of winter, it's never a bad . But the next time you reach for your favorite liquor, reach for the ice, too — and not just to keep your drink chilled. You can do so much more with ice, like making filled with every non-alcoholic component of its namesake cocktail.

You can even class up your drink by sprinkling flowers into your ice tray. We don't mean plucking some flowers straight from your garden, of course. We're talking about edible flowers: pansies, roses, cape jasmines, dahlias, and then some.



Not every flower is edible (and, in fact, some are poisonous), so don't make assumptions if you don't know for sure. It's best to buy flowers specifically sold under a food-grade label rather than sliding into your local florist's DMs. Being the purely visual aesthetic pieces they are, flowers are often treated with pesticides and preservatives at floral shops.

Talk about unwanted additions to your drink! Freezing up a beautiful bouquet Once you've picked out your favorite blossoms, it's time to turn your flowers into icy works of art. Before you begin, give these babies a wash, even if they're food-grade. As with any grocer's produce, a quick rinse will get rid of any traces of dirt and the lingering remains of your bouquet's journey from Mother Earth to your kitchen counter.

Then, take an ice tray of your choice and fill each cube about three-quarters of the way with water. Carefully place one or two flowers into every cube and fill any remaining space with more water. Pop the tray into the freezer, and voila! You now have beautiful floral masterpieces to grace your cocktails with.

If you want an even more entertaining drink experience, buy plastic or silicone ice trays in fun shapes like stars, hearts, or flowers. for more than just floral ice, so don't be afraid to buy a few different sets. If you don't want your flowers sinking to the bottom or floating at the top of your ice cube, you can also fill the tray halfway with water, freeze it until solid, and then add your flowers before topping it off with water.

No matter what you decide on, you certainly won't have a garden-variety drink on your hands. Recommended.