09.23.2009 - By CHOW.com
A. J. Rathbun, author of CHOW-approved cocktail books Good Spirits and Luscious Liqueurs, says that cubed ice works for almost every cocktail. Cracked ice makes stirred drinks more stirrable (use a muddler to crack it); plus, it looks elegant. Crushed ice, in Rathbun's opinion, is best left to the summertime daiquiri. Rathbun's most recent book is Dark Spirits.