Flash Blending

Blending has been a drink mixing technique for almost 100 years. The catch is, we don't call that old school technique 'blending" anymore. The preferred nomenclature these days is "flash blending." You can blame Waring, the original manufacturer of the popular pitcher-style blender introduced in 1938.

Flash blending is much different than blending, in equipment and results. To flash blend you use a machine called a drink mixer (also known as a spindle mixer or a milkshake machine). The rapidly revolving spindle aerates the drink while effectively mixing the ingredients from the top down. Unlike a blender, the drink mixer does not pulverize your ice, reducing the likelihood of an overly diluted drink!

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Why flash blend

Similar to blending, flash blending is a great way to quickly mix a drink - it will incorporate thick syrups and fatty ingredients, while also aerating the drink for texture and to bring forth aromas and flavors. What sets flash blending apart is the reduced dilution that occurs in comparison to blending.

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What you’ll need

You'll need a drinks mixer. For home bartending, the Hamilton Beach 730C DrinkMaster comes highly recommended.I’d prefer a completely metal spindle and more metal, durable parts, but it is hard to beat for the price.

You will want to use a metal mixing tin, like Cocktail Kingdom’s Koriko Large 28 oz Tin, if your mixer doesn't come with a metal tin. Don't worry about getting the size that will fit into the mixer's clip since you only need to hold it there for 3-5 seconds. And again, avoid glass - a drink machine’s spindle rotates super fast and you can get glass shards if the edge of a glass vessel touches it. Granted, with the plastic tip of Hamilton Beach 730C’s spindle this isn’t an issue.

You'll also need ice. Just like with normal blending, I like to use basic ice here (ice machine or store bought), plus Martin Cate's recommendation of 2 larger agitator cubes (such as what you get from the Tovolo 1.25" Cube Mold). These agitator cubes simply help the contents move around better.

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How to flash blend

To flash blend, put all of your drink ingredients into a metal mixing tin, including ice and agitator cubes. Then, hold the mixing tin up to the drink mixer with the spindle inserted near the bottom of the tin. Next, turn on the drink mixer for 3-5 seconds. When finished, pour the drink into a service vessel. Typically, the pour is done unstrained, as a “dirty dump”, but head your recipe if it advises you differently.

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If you don’t have a drink mixer, don’t try to achieve the same results with a blender. The blender’s angular, longer, and sharper blades will more rapidly dilute your drink than a drink mixer’s dull, round spindle. When I don’t have access to a drink mixer, I’ll often resort to shaking the drink instead.