The conservation and production of ice have always existed, but only when it began to produce ice on an industrial level did an expansion in the world of cocktails occur thanks to this very important ingredient. Ice serves to keep drinks cold and when served in the right way it does not dilute the drink but favors that perfect balance in the drink between freshness, taste and alcohol. Unfortunately many people think that putting ice in drinks is an old bartender trick to make you spend more money.
Jumbles St. Pierre tells us; “Everyone happened to meet a customer who wants to teach us that less ice means a stronger drink, and in these words I can not help but let go of an exasperated look. Ice is used to keep the drink cool, less ice means it will warm up faster, the ice melts faster and you find yourself with a vodka and warm coke. “
But while most people use trays to make ice cubes or sometimes the ice machine in their fridge, the bars have elaborate ice machines and some restaurants will be so perfectionist as to serve hand-cut ice. This does not mean that they make ice sculptures. They make hand-cut ice cubes especially for your drink, so that you have the right type of ice and the right amount, in the exact shape for your drink.
If you think it is a little exaggerated, watch this video, and see how ice has become the new symbol of a fine kitchen and bar.
In addition, large pieces of ice cut to size allow the barman to express his creativity and have greater control over the preparation of the drink. And what’s more cool in a drink than a perfectly transparent ice ball? To obtain this transparent ice it takes some experience and skill. Have you noticed that the ice cubes in your fridge are cloudy? Not only do they look less inviting than the cubes swaying in whiskeys in advertisements, they are also of lower quality because they melt before the professionally created transparent ones.
HOW are these transparent gaps made?
Your friends have probably told you that the best ice cubes can be made by boiling water first, or using distilled water, or even using distilled water and boiling it twice. In truth the only necessary ingredient is time:
As a child, you may have noticed that icicles hanging from pipes and trees have a particular quality. The reason why the puppies are so clear is the slowness with which they grow. One layer of ice after another freezes and the air does not get trapped inside and does not create unwanted bubbles. There are machines that simulate this process quite well allowing you to get perfectly clear ice to work with.