Each of these subsequent ice eras have led, in their own winding ways, to this golden age of ice. We can have ice frozen into cubes, spheres, or tiny little hearts. We can have it crushed, chipped, shaved, or molded into cylinders with the center hollowed out. We can have it the old-fashioned way,and distributed in blocks, if we live in the right part of the country and are feeling a bit nostalgic.
When I spoke to English, who is one of the biggest names in the cocktail world, about the current ice discourse, he said that it surprised even him. It had been difficult to place his book when he was shopping it in recent years. An unspecified number of publishers passed before Red Lightning Books jumped. The book sold out its first run ahead of its May publish date.English explained what was going on in the realm of cocktails to bring us to this moment of clarity.
Fans of bars became fans of bar carts. Sales of bar supplies like muddlers, strainers, graters, and cube trays skyrocketed at places. Bartenders shared their techniques over Zoom classes to bridge the gap financially.For the record, English’s book is instructional. In 2009, he discovered a method for freezing ice at home so it would be clear and beautiful, like the ice you’d get in your drink at the nicest bar in town.
The needle really moved on ice awareness when freezer-restocking videos began their march across social media, inspiring some to crave the, one dedicated merely to ice, according to English. The biggest, quickest jump he’s seen in ice interest is that people, like Brady, are noticing ice and possibly even what kind they’re getting.