Ice - foundation of a quality bar
As I start to write about what I consider an elegant subject, I needed to say thank you to the gentleman I met in the waiting room of a doctor’s office that introduced me to the sounds of Cannonball Adderley. I LOVE Jazz, but unfortunately, I have been extremely ignorant when it comes to the names of those that play the tunes I enjoy so much. I’m sorry I never caught your name sir, but if you by chance stumble upon this read, know that I thank you and appreciate you for pointing me towards the smooth velvety notes I am listening to now as I attempt to frame my thoughts.
Alright, let’s talk about ice. Ice is the one ingredient that 99% of all cocktails require. Therefore, it is an essential piece of a great bar/cocktail program. Sacrificing on ice, one would be immediately sacrificing on 3 characteristic of a great cocktail. It hurts my soul every time I witness this. Consider the following image of two different Old Fashioned cocktail. One with clear ice, the other with cloudy ice.
Without deviating from the main topic, and divulging into the other reasons why the Old Fashioned on the right misses the mark, let’s just be aware that the mantra of “Less is more” holds true here.
Aesthetics
Visually the Old Fashioned on the left is minimal by design, refined and is an elevated cocktail overall. People eat and drink with their eyes first, and will likely have already decided that the Old Fashioned on the left taste great before the first sip. The actual taste will either affirm or refute their initial expectations, but I promise you, that if it should taste awful, it wasn’t the fault of the clear ice. In fact, the ice in this case likely would have made a terrible drink a little less awful.
Why is this important as a bar owner? Because a visually appealing cocktail can charge upwards of 25% more compared to its mediocre counterpart. People already expect a higher cost associated with an elevated experience and will become a repeating patron as long as there is value and consistency in the product for their money.
Aside from being visually pleasing, what is the value of clear ice and why would someone pay a premium for it in a cocktail? To answer this, we’ll discuss what makes ice cloudy.
Flavor
The water we use to make ice contains impurities. When we freeze water in our freezer, it freezes from the outside and work its way inwards because cold air touches those area first. As the water freezes, the impurities, air bubbles and dissolved gases will migrate towards the middle of the ice cube because that is where the liquid hasn’t frozen yet. Eventually the remaining liquid in the middle will freeze with the impurities trapped in the center. We are then left with ice cubes that have a clear outer layer and a cloudy core.
When we use cloudy ice to make our cocktails, we are diluting the ice along with the impurities it contains (minerals, tannins and dissolved solids) into the spirit altering the intended flavor of the drink. The result is a cocktail degraded in visual, flavor and texture quality. If that doesn’t grab your attention, know that somewhere in the world a puppy is sacrificed every time this happens. Let’s save the puppies!
Texture
This takes us to the next point of value and reason to use clear ice. Using the Old Fashioned cocktail image again as an example, you may notice the cocktail with the cloudy ice has more bubbles in it. If we are drinking soda or champagne, the bubbles are expected and even desirable. However in cocktails such as the Old Fashioned, the velvety texture is the difference between a well made one and something that should be discarded. As a solid piece of clear ice melts, it elegantly flows and integrates into the surrounding liquid. Comparatively, cloudy ice will pop, crack and bubble into the surrounding liquid and disrupt the richness of the experience.
I love metaphors so indulge me for a moment. Imagine yourself sitting in a Jazz club listening to a slow and smooth song. Something like this:
People are coming in gently taking their seats around you. Your eyes are closed, head slowly swaying to the long notes of the trumpet. The piano keys are gliding in harmony. Completely relaxed, you’re hypnotized and thinking how euphoric this experience is…
Your head and body suddenly snaps in shock as you’re startled by someone screaming “Woooooooooooooooooo let’s do shots!!!”. After you straighten out your spine from the whiplash, you turn around to see a group of guys and gals wearing t-shirts labeled “Team Bride” and “Team Groom”. Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the cloudy ice that just popped, cracked and burst into the scene with their air bubbles and destroyed the serene moment we should have been enjoying.
Hopefully I’ve convinced you to see ice from a new perspective. If I succeeded and you’d like to learn how to make clear ice for yourself, and help me assimilate the world, read the instructions here: