When you make the extra effort and pay close attention to even the smallest of details, there is often a whole range of benefits that result from those efforts. This is true in both life and in business, but in the bar and beverage world, it's especially true.
One expression of this philosophy is in the ice. Craft cocktail ice is an important aspect to any beverage, whether it's chewable ice in a mint julep or a crystal clear cube in your Negroni. More and more customers are paying attention to ice, meaning operators need to, as well.
And what are those customers looking for? Clarity. The clear ice trend is one of the hottest trends in cocktails.
If you'd like to see exactly why clear ice is gaining in popularity and will never go away from the craft cocktail scene, we'd like to propose a simple challenge. Just be warned, your cocktail experiences may never be the same again.
1) Find a craft cocktail bar that uses clear ice.
2) Order an enticing cocktail that requires large volume ice, and take a look at the classy aesthetics that come with a crystal clear cube.
3) As you enjoy your cocktail, notice how the dilution rate is slower, adding to the enjoyment of the beverage.
4) Now, over the next several weeks and months, notice the difference in a cocktail that uses cloudy ice versus the clear ice you enjoyed before.
5) We've done this challenge ourselves, and it's hard not to notice the ice once you pay attention to a high quality, high volume, crystal clear cube (or sphere).
For sure, the first one is certainly aesthetics. Clear ice adds an air of elegance to just about any cocktail, in just about any shape or form. Two-inch cubes, spheres, spears, or even oddly chiseled shapes -- clear ice will completely transform a cocktail from an enjoyable beverage to an enjoyable experience.
That's not the only benefit, though.
By definition, clear ice is made with fewer impurities and usually at colder temperatures. Whether it's a sphere or a cube, clear ice is also typically large in volume, meaning the ratio between the surface of the ice and the beverage is much lower than smaller cubes. For guests, this results in a cocktail that will drink truer to the intended flavor profile from the first sip to the last.
At the end of the day, though, it also comes down to profitability, and when bars and restaurants serve premium grade clear ice, they can charge premium grade prices for their cocktails. The challenge becomes how to create or source clear ice, as well as how to store it during operation without degrading its brilliant qualities.