The long weekend is here and you know what that means right? It is time to drink lots of liquids! And make sure those liquids are cold by using lots of ice. Plain old ice cubes won’t cut it this weekend. Bust out a few party tricks to kick your ice cubes up a notch. For a punch bowl you can make a fruit filled ice ring or try individual big block cubes flavoured with fresh fruit for cocktails. 
To create a beautiful ice ring place fresh fruit and herbs, like strawberries and mint leaves or blueberries and thyme sprigs around the bottom of a bundt cake pan. Fill the pan half way with water and freeze on a level surface. When you are ready to use the ring, flip the pan upside down on a plate and run warm water over the bottom of the pan for a few seconds. The ring should easily slip out of the pan and is then ready to be used in your punch bowl. A great tip for the ice ring is to use some of the same fruit juice that is in the punch so that as the ring melts it doesn’t dilute. Here are a dozen punch recipes that will easily quench everyone’s thirst this weekend. 
If you’re not into a big bowl of punch and prefer individual drinks for your guests then you need to make some custom flavoured ice cubes. Regular sized cubes are fine and can easily be morphed into little flavour bombs. Try making some with lemonade and cherries. All you need are 2 tablespoons sugar 1 cup warm water 1/3 cup lemon juice 6 ounces pitted cherries fresh mint leaves Simply dissolve the sugar in warm water. Stir in lemon juice. Divide fresh cherries into an ice-cube tray. Place a sprig of mint in each cube. Add lemonade and freeze. 
Now if you want to really make a statement you could try making big block ice cubes. You’ll need a silicon mold, which you can find in a variety of shapes – blocks, spheres, even roses. These look so impressive in a cocktail and they take a lot longer to melt so they’re perfect for a hot sunny weekend. You can also use flavoured ice cubes in regular water to help detox your body before you hit the beach. Try pineapple to combat bloating or green tea and ginger to help regulate body temperature. Here are a bunch of great cleansing recipes. Stay cool and deliciously hydrated on this long weekend!