Temperature Testing Ring… and Vodka

My name is Tim and I head Electrical Engineering at Ring.  When we began building the Ring Video Doorbell, one of the issues we had to address was operating in extreme temperatures.  Through a variety of hardware-based inclusions, such as building a fully custom battery for the device, we were able to reach an operating range of an amazing 120°F to -4° F.

To ensure that all of our electrical systems worked at those temperatures, we had to conduct a lot of testing. In our engineering lab, we have a “fridge” that enables us to perform rapid temperature changes while also conducting prolonged tests of the Ring Doorbell unit, all while being able to monitor and test functionality.

As we carried out some Ring Video Doorbell tests, one of our engineers wondered what else could we freeze in the testing fridge. Inevitably, we wondered if we could freeze vodka.

We decided to try and create a scientific version of  the very popular vodka and Red Bull mixed drink, and I have to say, the vodka ice cubes came out better than expected and were surprisingly very solid.

In order to successfully freeze the vodka, we needed the temperature to not only  drop to -40°, but stay at that temperature for over an hour so that it could really turn into an ice cube.  The finished vodka cube melted much faster than your normal ice cube as it was 72° colder than a typical ice cube.

If you are ever in the Santa Monica area and would like a Red Bull and Iced Vodka, we would love to make you one. The drink pairs well with a frozen Ring Video Doorbell.

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