Here's When You Should Use Sphere Ice In Your Cocktails

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When enjoying a sophisticated cocktail at an elegant lounge, chances are you'll come across a single globe of ice floating about the cocktail glass, and there's a reason rooted in good old thermodynamics for it. If there's one thing that avid home mixologists, cocktail connoisseurs, and seasoned bartenders would emphasize to ensure an expertly crafted cocktail, choosing the right type of ice is high up on the list. Ice does more than just cool down your beverage for a refreshing sip, it can also make or break the quality and overall experience of the drink. Multiple factors, including the type of cocktail, whether it's shaken or stirred, and the size of the glass, determine the most suitable ice choice. You might be wondering, "Ice is just water in frozen form, so how can it play such an influential role when crafting quality cocktails?"

The truth of the matter is that one of the key roles of ice is its dilution effect. Depending on if your cocktail is a slow sipper or quick downer, your selection of ice impacts the final flavor of the drink. To avoid overly watered-down cocktails, sphere ice is the way to go. This ice shape melts slower than large ice cubes and has the lowest surface-area-to-volume ratio, which is the perfect solution to avoid overly watery cocktails. On the contrary, nugget ice, characterized by its small, pellet-like shape that increases the surface area of contact with your drink, might not be the best option for most cocktails unless they require high dilution or specifically call for this variety. Plus, the sphere of ice deserves extra points for aesthetic appeal.

Fun fact, sphere ice is not a recent, trendy invention. While its origins aren't entirely known, its revived popularity can be traced back to the cocktail culture in Japan preceding the American Prohibition era. Ice spheres are believed to have entered the Japanese beverage scene in the late 19th century, and every sphere was carefully hand-carved through the 20th century. The trend picked up in light of patrons' desires for a slow-sipping whisky and the rest is history. Who knows? If not for the drinking culture of Japan, free from Prohibition regulations experienced in the States, we may not have rediscovered this now mainstream mixology staple. 

Now, a reasonable telltale sign of a knowledgeable mixologist and a superior cocktail is the type of ice used. Does that mean you need to make reservations at your neighborhood's "it" cocktail spot to savor the elevated experience that spherical ice has to offer? Absolutely not! With a few handy gadgets, you can easily make your own sphere ice and gear up to astonish your guests with an elevated elixir. These days, unless you're a skilled ice sculptor, the chances that you're up for the painstaking task of carving ice spheres from a solid block are close to none. A more practical solution is to invest in sphere ice molds; Amazon offers a selection of brands, like Toug's ice ball mold, to choose from. If you don't have room for a dedicated sphere ice tray, simply fill a balloon with water till the desired size and shape are achieved, tie it up, and freeze. Feeling extra fancy? Add edible flowers or fruit to the water before freezing, and serve.