Nugget ice

Ice

In drinks, nugget ice is soft, chewable ice made of ice flakes compacted into small, even pellets.

Also called: pebble ice · sonic ice · pellet ice

Made from: Ice flakes compacted into small pellets
Sonic bag size: 10 lb (4.5 kg), at select locations

What nugget ice means

The feel of a drink changes most with nugget ice. Each pellet is porous and soft enough to chew, and it melts more slowly than crushed ice. You will see it named in recipes for juleps, smashes, swizzles and tiki drinks.

A lot of people assume nugget ice is crushed ice in a different shape, but the making is different. A machine shaves thin flakes off a freezing cylinder and presses them into pellets. The pressing leaves air pockets, and those pockets are what make the ice soft.

A home freezer cannot make true nugget ice, because it does not scrape flakes or press them into pellets. That is why this page covers machines, bags and a stand-in instead of a tray. The steps below cover the options that are open to you.

How to get nugget ice for cocktails

Start with the machine or the bag, and use a stand-in only when you have neither.

1.Buy a countertop nugget ice machine if you want to make it at home. It presses compacted flakes into pellets for you.
2.Call ahead to a Sonic that sells its nugget ice. Bags of 10 lb (4.5 kg) are sold at select locations.
3.Crush cubes in a Lewis bag or a blender for a stand-in, since crushed ice is the closest swap for this ice.

Nugget ice compared

Crushed iceCrushed ice is cubes smashed into sharp, uneven bits, and it melts fast. Nugget ice is compacted flakes that are softer and melt more slowly.
Cracked iceCracked ice is one cube split by hand into a few big chunks. Nugget ice is pellets from a machine, all about the same size.
Shaved iceShaved ice comes off a block as fluffy, snow-like flakes. Nugget ice is those flakes pressed into firm pellets.

Related terms

Put it to use in your next drink

Garçon explains every step as you make the drink.