Published December 2, 2015

Cocktail Ice, Baby

Ice has gone from being a utilitarian aspect of drinks, value only for its cooling properties, to an obsessed-over cocktail component that inspires incredible craftsmanship and artistry.

The craft ice movement began around the turn of the Millennium. This is when some bards started using custom ice machines like the Hoshizaki and Clinebell. The Clinebell is a particularly fancy machine that freezes massive 300 lb. blocks of ice that are almost perfectly clear because of its proprietary bottom-up freezing process. Bartenders and ice suppliers carve up the blocks into large, slow-melting ice cubes for premium cocktails.

Clear ice is just the beginning. Some bartenders, inspired by the lucidity of the new ice, began embedding flowers and other flavorings into the cubes. Other bartenders began making ice cubes out of beverages like wine, liquor, coffee and tea that can be added to beverages to cool them down without diluting them.

When you’re creating your cocktail menu, remember that you have all of these wonderful ice options available to you to add a special touch to your drinks. Artisanal ice can add that extra wow factor that really makes your cocktails sing.

Read the full article here: Ice Age