Lime + Cucumber + Mint Ice Cubes
Tip: Limeade, fresh-squeezed lime juice and bottled lime juice all work well as the base. Use a fresh mint leaf and a quarter slice of cucumber per cube.
Green Tea + Lemon + Honey Ice Cubes
Tip: Dissolve the honey in the tea when it’s still hot. After the tea cools, pour it into the tray and add a lemon wedge. If you pour the honey into the tray, it sinks to the bottom and stays there when you pull the cube out. Same goes for agave nectar or other sweeteners.
Coffee + Cream + Vanilla Ice Cubes
Tip: For vanilla, try extract, or if you prefer a sweeter drink, a syrup. Or swap in any flavoring of your choice.
Pineapple + Coconut Ice Cubes
Tip: Aesthetically, this works best as a puree. Puree canned coconut milk and fresh or frozen pineapple chunks, and then pour into the tray. Great for a tropical twist.
Blackberry + Basil + Coconut Water Ice Cubes
Tip: Fresh berries make for a striking appearance—picture a berry suspended in a clear cube—while frozen berries color the whole cube and impart a stronger flavor as the cube melts. You can also puree fruits or berries if you like a pulpier texture. Coconut water adds nutrients, but you can opt for seltzer or plain water if you prefer.
TIP: Get Fancy
Impress your party guests with striped ice cubes: Fill a third of the tray with a fruit juice, and freeze it. Once hardened, pour on another layer of a different color; freeze. Then top with a final layer of a third color. Freeze, and serve. For another element of fun, purchase trays or molds in shapes that match your party theme.
TIP: Use Your Melon
Skip the trays by using a melon baller to make melon rounds, and then freeze. The balls complement sodas and juice-based drinks.
TIP: All Grown-Up
Wine, liqueurs and spirits can serve as either the base liquid or a flavor splash. Just note that they will take longer to freeze than most other liquids.