The Perfect Ice Cube for Each Drink

(Drinks) It is said that bartenders build their house on ice. The cubes ought to be crystal clear, ice cold, dry, without bubbles and minerally pure. And ideally, they are selected to suit the type of drink and the choice of glass. Shape and temperature are crucial, and size really does matter. A single massive, perfectly polished ice cube in a Negroni not only looks incredibly stylish, but also melts slower, benefiting the drink. The decisive factor is the ratio of surface area to volume: the lower, the better.

Richard Boccato has many years under his belt as a top mixologist in renowned New York bars such as Milk & Honey, Little Branch and Dutch Kills, and is kind of sensitive when it comes to ice. But if there’s one subject he can warm to, it’s ice cubes. After all, the frozen water that ends up in a drink is just as important to him as the other ingredients. When he talks about frozen water, he is referring to ice cubes, of course.

And in its luxury version, this is precisely what has made him a name in New York’s premier gastronomy scene. In 2011, he launched his luxury ice cube factory “Hundredweight Big Ice”, completely without PR and marketing. However, it is well known that the word travels fast when it comes to excellent quality. Today, around five tons of icy products leave his workshop every day. Among his approximately 300 customers are a striking number of Michelin-starred restaurants and five-star hotels, such as the Four Seasons, the Baccarat and the Edition.

Boccato’s ice cubes certainly are in a league of their own. Crystal clear, cut with razor-sharp precision and of flawless beauty. Whatever he may not have in his assortment, he can produce upon request at any time. The perfect shapes are milled out of huge blocks that take up to three days to freeze, using both precision equipment as well as simple butcher’s tools.