Proper Chilled Cocktail Temperatures

[slkinsey]

WRT measuring the liquid, the best thing would be to get a high accuracy plug-mount Thermapen and put in the thinnest probe. This would be able to read the temperature of the liquid in the mixing glass well and quickly without too much worry about influence from pieces of ice and the sides of the mixing vessel. I would suggest inserting a spoon into the mixing vessel, "holding back" the ice to create a void space between the ice and the side of the mixing vessel where there is only liquid, and inserting the tip of the probe into the void space. A Thermapen gives an acurate reading in around 1 second or less.

[Mayur]

It makes perfect sense that a frozen glass would make the drink even colder.  The same thermodynamics work in that context that work when you mix a drink in a chilled mixing glass:  Assuming that the glass is colder than the drink being poured into it, there will be some transfer of thermal energy from the drink to the glass.

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My question was assuming a frozen mixing glass. I just was wondering how removing a drink from a frozen glass filled with ice to a frozen glass with *no* ice would lower its temperature, given that both the glass and the ice are sucking heat from the liquid in the former situation, and only the glass is doing so in the latter. But interesting!

[slkinsey]

I probably wasn't clear: It goes something like this:

You start off with cracked ice, a mixing glass and a cocktail glass, all at -18C. You have spirits at 21C. You introduce the ice and spirits into the mixing glass and stir. Thermal transfer ensues, and the temperature of the liquid goes to, say, -3C. At this point, the liquid inside the mixing glass isn't getting any colder. Ideed, if you left the spirits sitting on the ice until the mixture reached thermal equilibrium, the temperature wouild likely be higher than the current temperature. At this point, you strain the liquid out of the mixing glass into your -18C cocktail glass. Thermal transfer once again ensues -- this time between the (already cold) liquid and the (even colder) glass -- further reducing the temperature of the liquid an aditional 1 - 1.5 degrees C.

[Mayur]

Huh; interesting! Thanks for the illuminating response!

[jsmeeker]

so.. I just tried my "two shakes" method I thought of a few posts up. Made a Pegu Club. Got it down to 20 degrees in the cocktail glass.

Honestly, it seems a tad too cold at that temp. The flavors seem a bit muted...

[Chris Amirault]

I think it is too cold, yes.

Upon request, I made frozen margaritas yesterday with a vintage Waring blender and stuck a thermometer in there to see what's what: 13F. Instant tongue and brain freeze.