The art of cold drinks explained 

Some bartenders spend weeks working on the balance of new cocktail lists, many are known to be sticklers for the freshest produce, while still others scour the globe for rare and forgotten spirits; this may all be commendable but all too often one the most simple components of the bar, an ingredient, and an important tool is over looked: Ice. It’s time for this vital aspect of the bars we love to be put into perspective and given a pride of place (once more) amongst bars and bartenders that believe themselves to be at the top of their game. This isn’t some flippant fad rather it’s the bar industry coming full circle; revisiting techniques, ingredients and advice from the great cocktail bars of a bygone era.

New Rules for Cocktail Bar of the Year

Come 2009, the criteria for being eligible for ‘Cocktail Bar of the Year’ at the Australian bar awards has changed to give some incentive and reward those who take extra care with the ice that they use in cocktails and premium drinks. To be nominated for this award in ’09, not only will you need to drum up some trade votes, but you must offer high quality ice for premium drinks. This may be in the form of ice you have frozen yourself (i.e. triple frozen ice made from pure water), bock ice from a quality ice supplier (some are featured in this story) or large dense cubes from a quality ice machines. Furthermore, cocktail bars must also offer quality bottled mixers to be nominated in this category. Remember that if your bar doesn’t meet these criteria you can still be nominated in any other category.

The Ice King

There was a time when an icey cold drink was indeed a luxury afforded only to the wealthiest gentry. Without refrigeration ice had to be ‘harvested‘ locally from frozen lakes and ponds and then stored in a covered well until warm weather demanded it use.  In the early 19th century a young Boston man called Frederick Tudor saw an opportunity not only to make money off the sale of ice but to create a global ice trade.

In 1806 Tudor brought his first brig to transport 80 tonnes of ice 2,400km from Boston to Martinique. Most declared he was mad, and indeed, his first few shipments he sold for heavy losses. Tudor spent considerable time in debtors prisons over his life, but setbacks did little to stem his ambition for a profitable ice business. He started to ship ice further and further with ever increasing efficiency.

On May 12, 1833 Tudor’s brig, the Tuscany, sailed from Boston for Calcutta, its hold filled with 180 tons of ice. The Tuscany reached the Ganges in September 1833. People who had heard of the voyage believed that the delivery was an elaborate hoax, but the ship still had 100 tons of ice upon arrival. For over 20 years Calcutta was Tudor’s most lucrative destination, yielding an estimated $220,000 in profits.  By the 1830s ice had become a commodity and 35 years later (when Jerry Thomas’ career was in full swing) two out of every three homes in Boston had an ice delivery for their iceboxes every day. It is estimated that by 1880 American icehouses (specially constructed insulated warehouses) were holding 30,000 tonnes of ice!

Without Ice King’s pioneering trade the barrooms that gave birth to the Martini, Manhattan and other great concoctions might never have existed. But, towards the end of the 19th century, sources of clean ice were getting scarce due to increasing pollution from the pressures of population and developing industry. The ice trade was starting to falter with the deathblow being landed by the spread of electrical refrigeration making the daily ice delivery obsolete.  With ice being easily produced in the home the era of the ice king was now over.

The 21st Century Bar

It would be fair to say that many bars put little thought into the ice they use every day. That it comes from a machine in the storeroom, is cold and there is enough of it to get through a busy Friday night service would be as far as a line of enquiry would go. Over recent years, however, as bartenders have been getting more introspective about our trade’s history, classic cocktails and techniques, ice has taken on a new importance. Large blocks of ice are once more being delivered to bars (or carefully made on site) to be sawed, chipped, and shaved for the chilling of fancy beverages. The purchase of ice machines too has come under examination with leading bars looking for the contraption which makes the largest, clearest, densest and coldest ice for drinks.

Japan set a high standard for ice a number of years ago leading to the rise of ‘ice masters’ – bartenders who hand carve ice diamonds and spheres – like Hidetsugu Ueno (formerly of Star Bar and now owner of High Five in Tokyo). From Japan, London and New York have also picked up an obsession with ice with Sasha Petraske of Milk & Honey in NYC and Tony Conigliaro of Shochu Lounge in London considered the local masters.

Grant Collins, director of Bar Solutions and consultant for Sydney’s Zeta was inspired by a trip to Japan. “Going to Japan I found out that most of the top cocktail bars don’t even have ice machines but get in a big block in the morning and they spend a couple of hours pre-service chipping it” explains Grant. “…So about two and a half years ago we started using block ice which was very basic then…  we’ve got a big block downstairs as they do in Japan. We’ve got a big esky and chip it up and we use freshly chipped ice for as many drinks as we can now. “

Zeta isn’t the only bar to bring back the block; Sydney’s Toko has and a large block of ice as a centre piece on their bar since they opened two years ago. Paul Birtwhistle, Toko’s bar manager, believes that many of his customers appreciate freshly chipped ice even if it is just for the ‘wow factor’ although he also sees draw backs in using the large block . “It can definitely be a pain transporting our ice blocks from our freezer in the basement to the bar… Although beautiful it certainly isn’t practical.” Paul recommends investing in a quality ice machine and is in the process of convincing Toko’s owners to import one from Japan.

Down in Melbourne, Seamstress and Sweatshop (New Bar of the Year and Best Drinks Selection at last year’s Australian bar awards) have combined a specialist Japanese ice machine with larger blocks of ice for hand carving. “Carved ice blocks have a certain presence in the bar” begins Jason Chan Co-owner operator of Seamstress. “They give the idea of a more professional bar setup and attitude to the drinks and service … The block ice we use from the Hoshizaki ice machine produces hard, clear and heavy (25 gram) ice cubes. This size of cube gives a greater degree of chilling while taking much more time to dilute.” We posed Jason with the question of whether block ice and pricey ice machines are something that is practical for every bar. “No I do not believe it is practical for all bars” replied Jason. “Because of costs, space, style of bar. .. Sometimes I just feel like a beer and a shot of tequila. What is the relevance of ice spheres, ice saws, double reverse osmosis negative gradient demineralised ice cubes to me in a bar then?”

We posed the question of practicality to Grant also. “Yeah for sure” exclaims Grant! “I think especially in a smaller bar; that’s really where it comes into its own. I think that if I had a smaller bar I wouldn’t even have an ice machine. I’d freshly chip my own. Obviously here we have a blend of ice machine ice, freshly chipped ice, ice spheres, flavoured ice, but in a smaller bar you could actually just have the ice block… That’s exactly what they do at Milk & Honey. So it is pretty feasible… And it’s a nice personal touch.”

Ice vs Ice

What needs to be made clear is that all ice is created equal but some ice is more equal than others. As mentioned above, before refrigeration ice was harvested from the frozen winter lakes of North America. The natural and slow freezing process of winter’s chill produced ice that was dense, cold and fairly clear; the trick came with storing the ice and transporting it to climes where it could be sold. Modern freezers and ice machines on the other hand are indeed efficient and convenient but they generally produce quickly frozen ice which is both porous and brittle this translates to ice that melts quickly diluting the drinks in which it is used.

The art of chilling drinks (ice’s primary function) is a fairly complicated science so here are some points you might want to think over:

• Solid pure ice will dilute your drinks slower.
• Becasue disssolved gases and microscopic bubbles are allowed to escape, slower formation of ice crystals produces denser, clearer and more pure ice.
• Larger cubes (and especially spheres) mean that ice will melt slower due to a lower surface area to volume ratio.
• Heat energy is always passed from a hotter body to a colder one. This means that ice doesn’t chill drinks rather drinks warm ice!
• Environmental factors have a huge effect on the rate that your ice will melt. This includes the temperature of your bar and thus the temperature of the sprits on your shelf (air conditioning can help this), the temperature of your equipment (chilled glassware and mixing equipment will help) and of course the temperature that you ice is stored at. 

Handy Hints to Improving the Quality of Ice in Your Bar

• Grant, Paul and Jason all agree that purchasing a quality ice machine is the best bet for a bar wanting to improve its ice. Things to consider when choosing an ice machine:
• Make sure that the size and quality of the cube are a consideration as well as output.
• Check to see if your ice machine has a refrigerated hopper. If not your ice will already be melting before it gets behind the bar.
• If your machine doesn’t have a refrigerated hopper you can always re-freeze it to produce colder ice. Remember to rotate the ice to keep it fresh.
• Ice machines need water purifiers! The more pure the water the denser (and better tasting) your ice will be. 
• Make sure that your ice machine is well ventilated; this will help improve efficiency.
• Grant points out that that ice machines have air filters that should be regularly cleaned.  
• Ice wells need to be well insulated. A cover for them when not is use will also keep your ice colder for longer.
• If you’re after ice carving tools on line is your best bet. Grant does not recommend making your own or using a screw driver.
• If you’re really serious about cold drinks you can buy yourself a thermometer and experiment with difference ice and techniques to get the perfectly chilled drink.
• Jason warns that ice carving tools are sharp so if you’re making your ice remember that soft cloudy ice can be dangerous for carving.
  

Ice Suppliers

Block Ice:

Lidcombe Ice (Sydney)
Mammoth Ice (Sydney)
Donohue Ice (Melbourne)

Recommended Ice Machine Brands:

Hoshizaki
Cold Draft
Scotsman
Brema