16 January 2009
99. How to Make a Liquor Luge
2012 Update:
Thanks to all you drunks for making this page the #1 return on Google for "Liquor Luge." Now get your friends wasted.
What is a Liquor Luge?
It’s a slanted block of ice with curved channels carved across the top. The higher end is the drop-off point for your booze and the other end where you stick your pie hole. You’ll hear Liquor Luges called other things like Ice Luges, Luge Shots, Booze Luges, Shot Slides, etc.
Buying an Ice Block
Find an ice manufacturer that sells blocks versus just cubes for restaurants. Try to get one that’s at least two feet long and rectangular as opposed to square, since you’ll need more travel distance than thickness.
Buying a Pre-Made Ice Luge
These are pre-made, triangular and expensive as hell. I wouldn’t suggest this route, since part of the coolness is people watching you create your own. No kidding... I've seen people turn into rock stars because they set up and carved their own luges. Save your money for the liquor.
Buying a Plastic Luge Mold
You can usually get these for $25 or less. The cool part is that you can take the block out, flip the mold over and put the ice block on top. That's all you do and you’re ready to go. Unfortunately, these molds are too small for my taste, and having this smallish block on top of a plastic stand makes the whole thing look like a child’s party toy. I have too much pride to use these.
Making a Homemade Block
You’ll need a freezer. Chest freezers work best. As for standard fridge/freezers, the top/bottom freezers work better than side-by-side because you have the correct dimensions to work with. Get some sort of plastic storage bin that fits. If your bin is too tall for your freezer, you can always cut away the top part of the bin, since your block doesn’t need to be too thick. Only freeze 1 or 2 inches of water at a time. Once that water freezes, add more. Remember: water weighs 8 pounds per gallon. Your final block will be heavy, so be careful getting it out once it’s done. If you’re using a chest freezer, consider using straps to lift it out. Too much trouble? Remember: you'll be a rock star.
Transporting Your Block
If you’re not going to be using your ice block right away, you’ll need a big cooler to store it in. If you’re picking up your block at an ice maker, make sure the cooler is big enough before you leave.
Setting Up the Luge
If you’re setting up the luge inside your house, line the floor with some plastic sheeting because there will definitely be some meltage. Take the block and put it on some sort of table. If you’re at a campsite, a wooden picnic table works well. If you don’t plan on carving an angle out of your ice block (this takes a while and requires a thicker block to start with), prop up the end of the block where you're going to be pouring. You can use a brick or something else that won't roll around. The change in elevation doesn't have to be drastic. For the end where people will be drinking, it's good to have the block near the edge of the table. You might have to find some way to keep the block from sliding off the table and falling to the ground. Example: If you're using a picnic table, you can shove a stick between the wooden slats of the table and butt the block up against the stick. You could also creatively use bungee cords, ratcheting strips, vice grips, etc. Now you’re ready to cut.
Your Knife
If you’re only cutting channels, you can use a hunting knife or a strong pocket knife. My favorite knife? The Gerber EVO, which weighs less than 3 ounces and has a blade around 3 1/2 inches long. It’s half-serrated and is almost big enough to look like a cross between a pocket knife and a hunting knife. It’s also coated with titanium nitride for corrosion resistance. Note: Gerber's not paying me for the shameless plug.
Cutting the Channels
I'm always paranoid about the very tip of the knife breaking off, so I normally wear sunglasses or non-nerdy biker goggles while cutting. If you want only one channel, make it snake down the block, but make sure the curves are rather gentle or you'll end up having to carve them super-deep. You'll get the hang of it. If you want multiple channels, carve them a little straighter. I wouldn't carve more than two. Put your mouth over the bottom of a channel for a dry-run and remember the spot where your bottom lip was located. Take your knife and carve out a space for your bottom lip at that exact spot. It helps a lot. With a test-person ready to drink at the bottom of the block, pour a shot slowly at first to make sure the liquid runs smoothly all the way down the channel. Recarve questionable spots.
Decoration
If you're making the luge in your freezer, you can add some small pieces of stuff between the layers. If you’re using the luge at night, put some sort of light underneath the block. You'll have room for the light where the brick or other item props up the pouring end of the block. For a really cool effect, use one of those multi-colored LED lights that cycle through different colors automatically.
Drinking
Pouring into an ice channel is the same as pouring into a shot glass. So if your bottle has a pouring spout on it, you’ll have less spillage.
If you bought your block from an ice manufacturer, you might notice that after luging for a while, the liquid will find random vertical holes and run straight down to the table instead of down the channel. Carry a semi-unripe banana with you and use the banana flesh to plug the holes. We've found that works better than any non-food item.
Drinking cream-based shots can leave tiny chunks along the channels, so you might want to wipe them out if you move on to another type of booze.
# posted by L&F @ 10:44 AM 
