A margarita is supposed to be simple: tequila, lime, maybe a splash of orange liqueur. But the difference between bright and refreshing and flat and watery? It usually comes down to ice.
“Ice plays a critical role in achieving balance,” says Luis Alatorre, head bartender at The Cabinet, a New York City bar that specializes in agave spirits. “The right ice, combined with proper shaking technique, ensures proper dilution and temperature.”
Ignore the ice, and you’re drinking lime water.
The hidden ingredient: how ice shapes a margarita
Ice doesn’t just chill your drink—it changes it.
“Dilution can help soften the rough edges of alcohol’s initial burn…and it can also unlock hidden flavors or textures,” says Jessica Sanders, owner of DrinkWell, an Austin cocktail bar where margaritas are practically a house staple.
Is there a “wrong” ice for a margarita?
“Yes—crushed ice is the wrong choice for a classic margarita,” Alatorre says. “It melts too quickly and results in an overly diluted, watery cocktail.”
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Sanders agrees: “Crushed or pebble ice in a margarita is not the move for me…it’s going to get watered down far too quickly.”
But not everyone’s strict. “Margaritas that are served with cubed, crushed, frozen ice, or even neat are all versions I have enjoyed,” says Kip Moffitt, head bartender at Superbueno, a New York City cocktail bar known for its modern take on Mexican flavors.
Big cubes vs. everything else
“I prefer Kold Draft ice because it delivers the right balance of cold temperature and controlled dilution,” says Alatorre.
Kold Draft, an American brand, is basically bar-standard ice: big, clear, square cubes that melt slower than the cloudy stuff from your freezer.
At home, aim for larger cubes or store-bought ice. Bigger ice melts slower—simple as that.
“Preparing your drinks with larger, more dense ice helps…it can slow down dilution while keeping your drinks cold,” Sanders says. Just know: “You have to shake harder and longer.”
Technique matters as much as ice
“For me, the ideal shaking time is about 10 to 12 seconds,” says Alatorre.
He’s also firm on one thing: “Always use fresh ice when serving a margarita. ‘Dirty’ ice…adds unwanted dilution and small ice shards that affect the drinking experience.”
“Dirty ice” or “spent ice”—the used ice left in your shaker—is already partially melted. Pouring it into your glass means faster dilution and a worse texture.
Moffitt agrees on the fix: “Double straining, the little bruised ice bits can take away from the entire experience.”
In hot weather, ice becomes survival
“Keeping a drink adequately cold and yet not totally watered down can be an uphill battle in hot summer months,” Sanders says.
Her top tip: start cold. “I like to keep my tequila in the freezer.”
She also doesn’t believe in nursing a margarita: “This may be a ‘hot take’…but a margarita is supposed to be thirst-quenching…designed to be consumed in less than 20 minutes!”
The biggest ice mistakes at home
Your freezer ice might be the problem.
“Some of us have a generic ice maker built into our freezer… which can vary a ton in quality or density,” Sanders says. Worse, “flavors or odors in your freezer…can leech into your ice cube trays.”
Alatorre adds: “If you’re using lower-quality ice, you’ll need to adjust your shake time to avoid over-dilution.”
And Moffitt keeps it simple and says make sure there’s plenty of ice.
Do you actually need better ice?
Not necessarily.
“Clear, large cubes are great…but it takes some elbow grease to get that shake right!” Sanders says. For serving, she sticks with “good, clean regular cubed ice.”
Still, as Alatorre puts it: “Ice quality has a significant impact on the final drink—it’s essentially another ingredient.”
So…are you using the wrong ice?
Maybe. If your margarita melts too fast or tastes off, ice is probably the issue.
“As long as it's cold and diluted properly I don't think it really matters,” Moffitt says.
That’s true—but getting there takes a little more thought than most people give it.
The one rule every bartender agrees on
Ice isn’t an afterthought—it’s the control knob.
Get it right, and your margarita snaps into focus. Ignore it, and no amount of good tequila will save you.
Susan (she/her) is the Senior Food Editor at Good Housekeeping, where she leads wine, spirits, and drinks coverage and helps shape food content across platforms. In the Kitchen & Cooking Lab, she develops and rigorously tests recipes, drawing on experience that spans Food & Wine, Food Network, three meal kit companies, a Brooklyn wine shop, and Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. A graduate of Brown University, she has also collaborated on over a dozen cookbooks and cocktail books.
