Cool down with a refreshing and powerful Kansas City Ice Water.
You remember those days, those hot and muggy and sweaty mid-summer days. It’s July, and your dad is just about ready to lose his mind because he’s asked you a few hundred times to go outside and mow the lawn. I mean, you’d love to help out, really, you would. But back in them days, you couldn’t save your Nintendo games and well, you’ve gotten pretty far in Metroid. Then the television suddenly gets unplugged, and the discussion is over. Mowing the lawn it is, then.
And after you’re done pushing that machine around, getting pelted by sticks and clumps of wet grass clippings because it rained a few days before and everything is still soggy, you trudge back inside to that wonderfully sinful recirculated air that quickly makes you shiver due to the sweat pouring out of every pore. A nice, cold and tall glass of ice water disappears down your throat, and you feel better. Grimy, but better.
These days, I have no lawn to worry about. But every once in a while, I’ll think back to that dreaded—but missed—chore from my youth. The ice water still gets regular sips, but on the weekend, I’ll go for a Kansas City Ice Water, which happens to be today’s thirst-quenching recipe. Only this tall glass of H2O brings some vodka and gin to the party, giving this mixture a nice bite on the finish.
While there’s no real specific history attached to this cocktail, there are many bars in Kansas City, both the one in Missouri and the one in Kansas, that serve their own versions of this popular potion.
What is the best alcohol to use in a Kansas City Ice Water?
There are a few spirits we’ll need to make this potent and powerfully refreshing cocktail. For the main foundation, some vodka and gin are required. For the former, an unflavored and crisp, clean-tasting variety like Chopin, Hard Cut, or Belvedere is an excellent choice. The vodka will meld nicely with a more herbaceous London Dry gin, like a balanced Tanqueray or Beefeater, and mixed with some Cointreau or Grand Marnier for the orange liqueur, you’re in for a thirst-quenching and biting mélange.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce gin
- 1 ounce vodka
- 1/2 ounce lime juice
- 1/2 ounce triple sec
- 3 ounces lemon-lime soda
- Lemon and lime slices for garnish
Instructions
- Add the gin, vodka, lime juice, and triple sec in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
- Cover and shake well until the outside of the shaker is frosted. Strain into a chilled pint glass filled with ice.
- Top off with lemon-lime soda. Stir gently to combine and garnish with lemon and lime slices, if desired.
Nutrition
What glassware and garnish are used?
Grab a pint glass and chill it in your freezer for up to 15 or 30 minutes. This will make your drink extra cold, which is perfect for this beverage. Fill the glass with ice, pour, stir and garnish with a lemon or a lime wedge on top.
What is the best lemon-lime soda to use?
This depends on what you like. 7UP and Sprite are reliable and found just about everywhere. Starry is becoming popular, and I myself enjoy Boylan’s, which is made with cane sugar instead of fructose.
Similar drinks to the Kansas City Ice Water
Sprite and 7UP were a big part of our childhoods, and even if we don’t enjoy the bubbly sodas anymore as an adult, they can often elevate a cocktail with some lemony, limey effervescence. Check some of these recipes out for a few ideas on what to do with that bottle of citrus fizz in your fridge.
- Lynchburg Lemonade – Jack Daniel’s and your favorite lemon-lime soft drink make this classic cocktail.
- Lemonade Cocktail – This citrus-tinged tipple is crafted with vodka and lemon-lime soda.
- Aqua Velva – Lemon-lime soda tops this azure-looking mixture.
- Blue Motorcycle – A little bit of almost every spirit is in this elixir, topped with a fizzy and citrusy soft drink.
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