What do you know about ice? According to your sixth grade science teacher, it’s water's solid state. Wayne Gretzky was pretty good at skating on it. The ones in cap form on the top of our planet are melting. When you stack bricks of it on top of one another it’s called an igloo, and oh yeah, when you plop it in a drink, it makes the liquid nice and cold. But are you sure that’s all you need to know? What if the way you used and treated your ice could improve your cocktails? That sounds like it could be beneficial to your at-home bar experience. Luckily, we’ve got a whole series of videos with Long Island Bar’s Tristan Willey that will teach you what’s what in the world of ice. To clarify, that would be the world of cocktail ice, not the world of hip-hop Ice (Vanilla, T, Cube, or otherwise).
Even though he was certifiably crazy and the bartender was imaginable, Jack Nicholson’s character from The Shining knew his bourbon needed ice. Maybe if the bartender gave him a large, appropriately sized ice cube, the movie might have ended a little differently.
Remember that one time you made fun of your friend Brian for talking about "aeration" in cocktails? Well, it turns out that it matters, and he's probably been drinking better cocktails than you. Go apologize.
The mint and bourbon in a mint julep is enjoyable at just about any time, but crushing up cubes of ice with your muddler to make your own pebble ice? That’s especially satisfying after a long day at the office.
Just like the island, a Manhattan isn’t as enjoyable when it’s too warm, or even too cool. Stirring it just the right amount of time in properly sized cubes will get your cocktail right to that dilution sweet spot.
How do you improve on a classic Old Fashioned? You turn the ice into a striking, perfectly shaped sphere, something that looks like it belongs in the Prince of Monaco’s jewel room. If you’ve ever wanted to gild a lily, this is your time to shine… or… gild.