This post is sponsored by GE Profile. All thoughts and opinions are my own
Just like everyone else, we’ve been stuck at home a lot more than we’re used to, but instead of focusing on any of the negatives, we’ve been enjoying all the family time and the money we’ve been saving not eating out or traveling!
With the money we saved, we’ve instead focused on how we can make our home an even better place to be! So we decided to bring a bit of the dining out fun back to our house and got a GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker.
With Father’s Day right around the corner, this is the perfect gift to pick up for any dad on your list!
Not familiar with nugget ice? It goes by a few different names like “chewable ice,” “Sonic ice,” “Chic-fil-A ice,” and “the good ice.” They’re all used to describe a type of ice that is made with flaked ice that’s compressed into small nugget.
What’s so good about nugget ice? It’s softer, so you can chew it, and it’s porous, so it absorbs a bit of whatever you’re drinking. It’s hugely popular with the ice chewers of the world – for good reason!
What’s so cool about the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker is that it’s completely plug-and-play. Plug it in, add water, and it’s rolling.
It makes 1lb of ice per hour, and you can even schedule when you want it to make ice with it’s companion phone app. I have it set to make ice every night at 1am, so we have nugget ice any time we want it.
Summer Drink Recipes
I picked the drinks below, because they’re refreshing and perfect for summer afternoons and evening. My wife Lee Anne is a huge margarita fan, and I love Moscow Mules, so I had to include our favorite recipes for both.
Strawberry Margarita
Strawberry Margarita
Equipment
- Small Knife
- GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker
- Muddler or Wooden Spoon
- Cocktail Shaker
Ingredients
- 2 oz Tequila 100% silver tequilla preferred
- ½ oz Agave Nectar
- ½ oz Orange Liqueur We use Cointreau
- 2 oz Fresh Muddled Strawberries
- 1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
- Nugget Ice
- 2 Slices Lime Garnish
- Salt For Glass Rim
Instructions
- Cut the stems off your strawberries, hull out most of the white inside with a small knife, and mash them with a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon. Set aside
- Add fresh lime juice, orange liqueur, tequila, 1 oz of the muddled strawberries, and agave nectar to the cocktail shaker and fill ½ to ¾ with nugget ice.
- Shake until the outside of the cocktail shaker is frosty
- Create the salt rim on the glass by running a lime slice around the rim of the glass and dipping it in salt
- Pour shaken margarita into salt rimmed glass
- Add nugget ice and the remaining 1 oz of muddled strawberries. Stir
- Garnish with a 2 lime slices
Moscow Mule
Moscow Mule
Equipment
- Garlic Press or Food Grater
- GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker
- Knife
Ingredients
- 2 oz Vodka
- 1½ oz Fresh Lime Juice
- 1-2 cm^2 Organic Ginger Root Double the amount if using non-organic ginger
- 6 oz Gingerale or Ginger Beer
- Nugget Ice
- Candied Ginger garnish
- 1 slice Lime garnish
Instructions
- Peel ginger root and either grate it or press it in a garlic press (I've found the garlic press works great if you're pressed for time. You can also scrape off any of the ginger that gets pushed through the press to add to the drink)
- Add pressed or grated ginger root, lime juice, vodka, and gingerale (or ginger beer) to a glass with nugget ice.
- Garnish on the rim of the glass with a piece of candied ginger and a lime slice.
Mint Julep
I had to include my recipe for a Mint Julep as well, because I have roots in Kentucky and horse racing, and this is the classic drink served at Churchill Downs on Derby Day!
Mint Julep
Equipment
- Silver Cup (optional)
- GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker
- Muddler or Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 2 oz Bourbon (We used Woodford Reserve)
- 8 Leaves Fresh Mint
- ¼ oz Simple Syrup
- 3 drops Bitters (garnish)
- 1 Mint Sprig (garnish)
Instructions
- Add mint leaves and simple syrup to cup and gentle muddle together with a muddler or the end of a wooden spoon
- Add bourbon and pack nugget ice nearly to the top of the cup
- Stir until outside of glass is frosted
- Fill the rest of the glass with nugget ice, garnish with the mint sprig and add 3 drops of bitters
Cherry Limeade
No nugget ice drink recipe would be complete without cherry limeade. It’s great for kids and a great summer cocktail with the addition of a little vodka. If you haven’t had this yet, you owe it to your inner child to give it a taste!
As you can tell from my prior recipes, I really enjoy fresh ingredients, but when it comes to Cherry Limeade, my recipe is more about convenience. These go fast, and the quick version is just as tasty!
Cherry Limeade
Equipment
- GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker
- Bamboo or Sword Skewer (optional)
Ingredients
- 8 oz Limeade (We Used Simply Limeade)
- 1 oz Juice from Maraschino Cherry container (What the cherries are floating in)
- 5 Cherries (because why not)
- 2 oz Vodka (optional)
Instructions
- Fill tall glass with nugget ice
- Pour in vodka (optional)
- Add 2 oz of limeade to the glass, followed by the cherry juice, then the rest of the limeade.
- If you added vodka, stir slowly to keep all of the cherry juice and limeade from mixing
- Add additional nugget ice to fill the glass
- Garnish with 5 cherries on a bamboo or sword skewer (optional)
These drinks are a surefire cure for any cabin fever and a lot of fun to make. They’re great on their own, but made so much better with nugget ice! As always, feel free to reach out with any questions about any recipes or the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker. Have a great week!
***UPDATE***
GE Profile just came out with a version 2.0 of their Opal Nugget Ice maker! It has all the same features plus now has a more compact design, WIFI capabilities, so you can control it from anywhere, and they now come in Stainless Steel and Black Steel. Check it out here.
***GIVEAWAY***
We’re giving away one of GE Profile’s newest Opal Nugget Ice Maker here on my Instagram. Check the post for the full rules. Contest ends on 9/15/20.
