Your drinks are missing a key ingredient: coconut water

Coconut in drinks can bring to mind hyper-creamy, often thick and sweet classics made with cream of coconut or coconut milk: painkillers, piña coladas, coquitos. But coconut water in drinks is lightly savory, nutty in flavor and rich in texture, and, as an ingredient, coconut water slips seamlessly behind the bar.

To put this hydrating powerhouse to use in your next cocktail, start by freezing it.

“When it’s super, super cold, it’s really refreshing,” said Blake Cole, the owner of Friends and Family in Oakland, Calif. “It’s a delicate dance.”

When frozen cubes are added to drinks in place of standard ice, they play two roles — imparting both chill and flavor. “It’s diluting, but it’s also enhancing,” Cole said. “The cocktail starts as one flavor profile, and as the coconut cube melts, it gets a little bit more robust. That sweetness and rich, velvety mouthfeel adds a whole other layer of complexity.”

The ice cubes are easy to make: Pour coconut water into trays, cover and freeze until solid. If coconut water skews too sweet for your taste, Cole recommends using half coconut water, half filtered water.

Layer the resulting cubes in a tall glass and pour over a combination of (unfrozen) coconut water, tequila and grapefruit juice for a coconut-laced take on a Paloma.

Or double down on the coconut in your next piña colada by blending the ice cubes with cream of coconut, rum and pineapple. Any leftover cubes can be added to a morning cold brew, an afternoon iced tea or directly into a tall glass of chilled coconut water — in which case, the resulting coconut water-squared remains at full strength the whole way through.

Coconut water’s ability to mute the sometimes harsh flavors of alcohol is also unrivaled: “Anything that you drink on its own and you’re like, ‘Ooh, that’s a little intense,’ this is something to help bring down the noise a little bit,” Cole said. “Having that alcoholic heat match with that richness from the coconut water is a really nice pairing.” She suggests trying this technique with a favorite whiskey, rum or amaro.

You can also use coconut water to make a syrup, just as you would a standard simple syrup (combine equal parts sugar and coconut water, dissolve). The result is thicker in texture and richer in flavor than simple syrup and works well in old-fashioneds, daiquiris, espresso martinis and Long Island iced teas.

When shopping, opt for water from a fresh coconut, if you can get your hands on one, or reach for the packaged variety. Look for the natural, unsweetened, organic coconut water without any added sugars or flavors.

Coconut water lends itself well to warm-weather drinking, certainly, but coconut water ice cubes can and should expand deeper into the calendar year. Start now, drink all the way through the thaw.

Makes 2.

In this bright, hydrating take on the Paloma, coconut water is incorporated two ways: in the shaker alongside tequila, grapefruit and lime juice, and in the ice that the final drink is poured over. As the ice cubes melt, they infuse the drink with coconut-forward flavor. Use any extra ice cubes in the next morning’s cold brew coffee, iced tea or another chilled drink. From Rebekah Peppler, the New York Times.

Directions

The night before you plan to serve this drink, prepare your coconut water ice cubes: Pour some coconut water into an ice cube tray to prepare the desired amount, cover and freeze until solid.

When ready to enjoy your drink, fill a Collins or highball glass with coconut ice cubes.

Add standard ice cubes to a cocktail shaker along with the 4 ounces coconut water, the tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice and simple syrup. Cover and shake until cold, then strain into the glass.

Top with soda water, garnish with the grapefruit wedge or lime wheel, and serve.

Tip: If you don’t want to make simple syrup, add 1 ½ teaspoons sugar and 1 ½ teaspoons water to the shaker in its place.

Makes 4 to 6.

Frosty and smooth, this take on the piña colada adds coconut water to the classic combination of rum, pineapple and cream of coconut. Freezing coconut water into cubes takes a bit of forethought, but the act of blending them into the drink in lieu of standard ice cubes results in a drink that is layered with coconut flavor. The (optional) float of high-quality dark rum tips the drink toward party fare, and chilling your glasses in the freezer before pouring from blender to glass ensures that the drinks stay frosty for as long as possible. From Rebekah Peppler, the New York Times.

Directions

The night before you’re planning to serve this drink, prepare your coconut water ice cubes: Pour the coconut water into ice cube trays, cover and freeze until solid.

To make the cocktail, add the coconut ice cubes, frozen pineapple, white rum, cream of coconut and lime juice to a blender. Blend until smooth and frosty.

Divide into chilled glasses, preferably lowballs. If desired, top each drink with about ½ ounce dark rum. Garnish with pineapple slices and serve immediately.