Cocktail Ice Spheres and Spears
In the search to find the perfect way to serve up a cocktail, mixologists have traditionally turned a cold eye to ice, considering it a necessary evil, despite its impact on the quality of a beverage. While some drinks get around the issue by stirring or shaking, then straining the ice out, other drinks do not have that luxury. So what to do? Well, science has stepped in with an answer.
Why ice spheres and spears are better
Because of the reduced surface area, ice spheres melt less than cubes do under the same conditions, infusing cold into the beverage without a corresponding level of dilution. As such, drinks stay colder for a longer period. In addition, a single ice sphere will cool down more drinks in the same glass without any loss of quality.
Ice spears perform in roughly the same way, but are used in drinks that are not harmed from the addition of water. Because spears have three sides, there is less melt than from an ice cube, but more than from a sphere. This happy medium means stronger drinks that need water to bring out their distinctive characteristics moderate at a more acceptable rate.
The cold facts on choosing the right shape
The choice between ice spheres or ice spears depends on two things – the cocktail itself and the glass. Because of the slower melt-rates, drinks that improve while they sit and allow their ingredients to bring out the best in each other, respond well to either shape. The shape of the glass is a more obvious relationship. Use spheres for drinks served in shorter low balls-style glasses such as Manhattans, Old-Fashioneds, White Russians, or straight liquors served on the rocks (or in this case, on the orbs). Drinks in tall glasses – Gin and Tonics, Tom Collins, etc., are better served with spears as their shape works well, physically and visually, with the glass.
How to make ice spheres and spears
The easiest way to make these shapes is just as you would make an ice cube – use a mold. While you could use a chisel and scrape a cube or block of ice into the desired shape, by the time you were finished you would be carving water. Save the trouble and the mess, there are plenty of vendors out there who make these molds, and many of the molds have interesting patterns that add a unique look to the cocktails you serve.