Drink of the Week: Abstract Ice

If you’ve enjoyed a drink at a craft cocktail bar at any point over the last decade, then odds are good you’ve gazed with wonder into the almost unfathomably clarity of crystal clear ice. No longer relegated to the cocktail bar alone, clear ice is now easily available to the home bartender via companies like Abstract Ice. And while, granted, ice itself is not a beverage, it remains, a crucial component in cocktails, offering not just temperature regulation but dilution.

In our May/June issue, columnist Wayne Curtis charts the rise of clear cocktail ice, from novelty to necessity. Crafty bon vivants had long experimented with the clear ice conundrum at home, notably spirits writer Camper English who ultimately cracked the method of directional freezing that led to clear cubes. Today, any number of home gadgets can produce clear ice in various shapes and with varying degrees of success. But for home bartenders wanting a steady supply of cubes, specialty shapes, or to simply nix the DIY element, options like Abstract Ice bring the cubes straight to your door.

Founded by Todd Stevenson and Leon Sharyon, both former execs at Lagunitas Brewing Company, Abstract Ice is based in Petaluma, California, and today supplies cubes to industry spots like The French Laundry and Trick Dog, and events like The Grammys. Meanwhile, longtime cocktail industry vet Charles Joly serves as their resident mixologist, ensuring the ice stands up in cocktail applications.

For my own home use, I poured a midday mocktail over a 2 1/2-inch sphere, which looked lovely and lasted long enough for a second pour without dissolving. (Beyond aesthetics, the practical benefit of clear ice is increased density, meaning a much slower melt rate). So why not bring the craft cocktail bar vibes home? Options and prices vary, abstractice.com

The post Drink of the Week: Abstract Ice appeared first on Imbibe Magazine.