How to chill drinks in 15 minutes: ice, water and salt
In the fridge a bottle of wine takes 2 to 3 hours to chill, in the freezer about 40 minutes. A tub of ice, water and salt does it in 10 to 15 minutes. It isn't magic, just the physics every event bartender relies on.
Why ice water chills faster
Air is a poor conductor of heat, so a bottle cools slowly in the freezer. Water touches the whole surface of the bottle and draws heat away many times faster. Ice alone isn't ideal either: there's air between the cubes. Ice plus cold water is the winning combination.
The salt trick
Salt lowers the melting point of ice, so the ice water drops below zero, to -5 °C and colder. Two or three tablespoons of salt are enough for 5 litres of ice water. Turn the bottle now and then so the liquid inside moves and chills evenly.
Step by step
- Fill the container halfway with ice. Crushed ice works fastest because it hugs the bottles.
- Add cold water to cover the bottles up to the neck.
- Add the salt and stir.
- Check wine or beer after 10 minutes; champagne needs 15 to 20.
Why not the freezer
A bottle forgotten in the freezer freezes, and champagne or beer can crack the glass. And a freezer holds only a few bottles, while an event has dozens.
For an event
One bucket with 10 to 12 bottles needs about 5 kg of ice. The handiest option is a 10 kg bag of ice, and for a big event an ice tub. For a picnic or trip, take a 24 L cooler box.
