Ice, Ice Baby
L
ately, if you’ve been to a craft bar, you’ve had a drink with a
giant cube or a large sphere of ice in it. Some places have even
started using spears of ice for the tall Collins glass. What’s the deal
with these large cubes, gigantic spheres, and tall cylinders? Why do
we care whether it’s crushed into a fine powder, cracked into the
familiar small cubes, or just one cube big enough to fill up the glass?
Does the shape even matter? Just what the heck is going on with our
ice in cocktails?
“Four years ago we saw the craft
of bartending starting to catch on in
our fair city. Now there’s a lot of talk
going around about ice.”
Given this issue of Food & Spirits Magazine celebrates five years
of FSM, let’s first get a little perspective. The Omaha of five years
ago was certainly no stranger to the cocktail, but we didn’t have
any bartenders who had places to practice the craft of bartending
professionally. Sure, we had our places to go drin ???BvP?v?V?F?( ?B?W6?FFRF??&FW"???GF???"?Vw&?????"???@?f6????VC?vRvW&R6??FV?Bv?F?v?BvR?B??Wr??&??6VGF?R??6?g&?6?66??B6??6v?vW&RF?R?6W2v?W&R&'FV?FW'0?vW&R&V6???r26?Vg2&V???BF?R7F?6??'WB?B?F?( ?B?WB&V6?V@??????f?W"?V'2v?vR6rF?R7&gB?b&'FV?F??r7F'F??rF?6F6???????W"f?"6?G??7F'FVB?V&??r&?WBF??2v?&B?????w???N( ?0?&?WB&??6VB6?6?F???&?WB6W'f??rV?G?G&?????@?&?WB&'FV?F??r&V6???r7&gB??6Rv?????rF?W&^( ?2??@??bF?v???r&?V?B&?WB?6R?v^( ?&R6VV??r?6R&W76W2v??6????R7?W&W2?F??7V'2f?"?W"6????>( ?v?76W2??Bv?&G27V6?0????B?G&gB&R7F'F??rF?&Rv??7W&VB?BF?VB&?WB?F??2?2?3???'?&????fW&??FW???W?6?F??rF??Rf?"?????N( ?2F??RF?v??WB?BvWB&V???V@?G&?????vFW"??6?6?F??2?2&?WB'&??v??r&??6RF?F?RG&????v?V??RF????F?B?W7B&?WBWfW'???VBG&?????F?W"F??F?R6??B? ??W76R6l:???2&?WBC?cR?b?G2f??V?R2vFW"???R6?&Vv???F?&V6?FRF?B?B??22f?F?&??R2F?R7?&?G2?B?F?W ???w&VF?V?G2F?Bv???F?F?R6??6?7F????vFW"v???'&??rf?f?'0??WB?W6?f?f?'2&6???BF?gV?7GVfbF?G&????FBF???V6???BF?RG&???f??2f?B?FBF???GF?R?B?N( ?2v???rF??fR?'6????FW2?B'W&??GF?R?v?BF?W2F??2?fRF?F?v?F??6S???F?P?6?6?F??V??fW'6R??6R?2??rvRFV?fW"vFW"??F?6?6?F????F?W&R&RF?&VR&V6??2v??vR6??R?B7F?"G&???2?????F?P???w&VF?V?G2F?vWF?W"??"?6????F?RG&???F??F&?R?WfV?2??B?2????G&?GV6RvFW"F?F??WFRF?RG&?????6R??2?W?&??R??V6??`?F?W6R&?6W76W2??B??27&?F?6?&??R??6RF?RG&???vWG26W'fVB?( ?vFW"??6?6?F??2?2&?WB'&??v??p?&??6RF?F?RG&????B?6R?2??p?vRFV?fW"vFW"??F?6?6?F???( ?v?V?vRW6R?6RF???RG&???2?F?RG?R?b?6RvRW6R?0????'F?B?f?"G&???2??Rg&W2?&?V?FVBG&???2??B?V?W2??vRv?BF?W6R7'W6?VB?6R?"?vFW"?F??2?6R?V?G2fW'?V?6????F?7G&?'WF??rvFW"??F?F?RG&???B&?B&FR?BF?W26????rF?P?G&???V?6???W7V??F?W6RG&???2vWB7v????VB?F?R??7Bf???V?@?f?&??"7F?'&??r?F???FVw&FRWfW'?F???r?F?W6Rv???&RF?R6??FW7@?&WfW&vW2??RvWB?F?R??W2F?B6?&RF?R??7BFW6?&&?R????@?F???f?"?F?W"G&???2vRW6R7&6?VB?6R??W&R?F?????bF?R?6Rv^( ?&P?W6VBF??F?R7F?F&B?6Rg&??F?R&"?BF?R?6R???W"???P?g&VW?W"??B6??W2??f'???r6??W2?'WBvV?W&??7V???rvRvW@?6WfW&?7V&W2??F?F?Rv?72?F?RG?R?bv?72&W7B7V?FVBF?W6??p?F?W6R7V&W2?2??W"??v?&???GV?&?W"?"6????2v?72??N( ?2?FV?f? ?G&???2??RF?RF??6????2?F?R?W&?6????v?&???F?R??66?p??V?R??"F?RF&??B7F?&??F??2?6R????????????2?6?F?P?&W7B?6RF?W6R????W"6????rF???"????rv?72v?V?????p?G&??????R6?v?&?&WGG?V?6??v?F??B?B7F????fRv??@?6??G&???fW"??W"F??WF????BFV?W&GW&R??F?V?vR?fRF?R?V??6R?F?W6R&RF?R&?r&??6?2?F?R??W0?F?BvRW6R???W"??Bf6????VBv?76W2?F?W6R?V?B6??v???fR???&R6??7F?BFV?W&GW&R??BvRW6RF?V?F????F??G&?????F?V?F?W&R&RF?R7V'2?v??6?&R&V?F?fV??Wr?6R6?R???F?Rv?76W2?F?W6R&RW6VB??F?R6????2?BF?R??v?&??v?76W2???BF?W?6W'fRF?RW?7B6?RW'?6R2F?R?V??6R??f?"F??6R?bW2v??&7F?6RF?R7&gB?vRF??( ?B?W7BW6RF?W6P?F?ffW&V?BG?W2?b?6R&V6W6R?B????26???W"??F??Vv???WN( ?2&P????W7B??BF?W2?v???RvR7F???????F?F?V?"??FW2f?"wV?F?6R???v?V?B&wVRF?Bv?F??W"V?FW'7F?F??rv^( ?fR7W'76VBF?R??W0??b?W''?F???2??V?W"??4V???R??B7&FF?6??v??&?&&??W6VBF?W6RF?ffW&V?BG?W2?b?6R&V6W6R?Bv2V6?W"F??F?G'?F??7&VFR??F?W6RV??f?&??V6W2?b7&6?VB?"?V??6R?vRW6RF?W6P?F?ffW&V?BG?W2?b?6R&V6W6R?B??W2&WGFW"???&R&??6VBG&??f?"?W"7W7F??W'2?