How to Chill a Drink Quickly

Co-authored by Yasmin Rosales

Last Updated: July 19, 2024

VIDEO

We've all been there. You've invited a few friends over — or even house full of them — and have realized that you haven't chilled your drinks right before your guests arrive. What you have on your hands is a true party emergency. So, how do you chill your drinks in time for you to be able to chill out with your friends without feeling like a bad host? Read on to find out.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Chilling with Salted Ice Water

Download Article

The thicker and more insulated the bowl, the better. It should be able to trap the cold water and ice mixture. Add as much ice to the water as you can, but not so much that it prevents the entire beverage container from being submerged into the water. A 50/50 mix of ice and water is a good rule of thumb. If you just need to chill one or a few drinks, this is fine. If you have to chill many drinks, you're better off using a cooler or even your bathtub.
A small handful should do. The salt will disassociate into its constituent sodium and chloride ions. The water molecules, being polar, will orient themselves accordingly. This is work, and work requires energy which comes from thermal energy in the water, thus reducing the ambient temperature further.

Advertisement
Stirring the drinks will help the heat transfer out of your drink and into the ice solution more quickly.
The temperature should have fallen dramatically in a very short time. If it needs more time chilling, stir the remaining drinks in the salted ice water for another minute or two.
It should now be about the perfect temperature to quench your thirst -- and the thirst of your guests. Just be careful: if you put in a carbonated drink like a soda, give it some time to settle before you pour it.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Chilling with a Wet Paper Towel

Download Article

If your drink is small, you may only need to use half a paper towel; if your drink is larger, a full one or even two.
Try to make sure the paper towel stays wrapped around the drink.
The paper towel will be partially frozen; keep it on your beverage if you want it to continue cooling down the drink. If you are using the drink in presentation, remove the wet paper towel before serving.

Video

Read Video Transcript

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question

How do I chill a drink that's not in a bottle?

Yasmin Rosales
Professional Bartender
Yasmin Rosales is a Bartending Expert based in South Florida. She is the Founder, CEO, and Lead Bartender at Stir it Up Mobile Bar, a mobile bar serving all of South, Florida. Since its founding in 2020, Stir It Up has become a highly respected name in the local event and mobile bartending industry, and prides itself in delivering excellence and an unmatched experience as a preferred luxury bar service. Yasmin has 18 years in the event and hospitality industry, and has made it her mission to infuse joy and a touch of sophistication into every event. In addition to Stir it Up, she owns several satellite bars, a refurbished horse trailer bar named “Glory” and manages a team of bartenders who love the industry as much as she does. She recieved an AS from Broward College in Crime Scene Technology.

Yasmin Rosales

Professional Bartender

Expert Answer

You can quickly chill a drink by adding a couple of ice cubes to it and stirring gently. Also, remember to not shake or stir your drink if it's carbonated, as this may cause your drink to become flat and lose carbonation.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 3 Helpful 1
Question

Is it normal for my mouth to be cold after taking a drink of hot chocolate?

Community Answer

Yes, the hot chocolate increases the temperature of your mouth, making it more sensitive to colder temperatures, for instance the air.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 4 Helpful 12
Question

Is it OK if I touch the salt water and ice on accident? I do not want to get burnt.

Community Answer

Don't worry; if you touch it, it won't cause injury.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 13 Helpful 14

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Tips

Make sure to at least rinse the can top in clean, potable water before you drink the beverage. The salt that may be left on the can lid may cause the beverage to taste very salty.

Thanks
Helpful 93 Not Helpful 40
If you don't have salt, then plain water plus ice is still more effective than ice alone at chilling containers. This is because liquid water is a better heat conductor than air (many times better), and the ice by itself can't cover much of the container's surface.

Thanks
Helpful 77 Not Helpful 36
Smaller containers will chill more rapidly than large containers because the smaller ones have much more surface area in contact with the cold water per unit volume. Smaller containers will also chill more rapidly because they contain less liquid.

Thanks
Helpful 84 Not Helpful 42

Show More Tips

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Warnings

Carbonated cans may become pressurized after rapidly stirring in the ice water. Opening cans before the carbonation has a chance to settle may cause an overflowing mess.

Thanks
Helpful 30 Not Helpful 7