Hey Bartender, What the Heck Is on My Ice?
A new territory has been conquered in the ongoing creativity arms race between the world’s top bars: the ice cube.
Over the years, the search for garnish innovations inspired inventions like the classic cocktail pick, the cringey millennial-era tiny clothespin, or, more recently, the little spoon that can hold a small serving of caviar. Today, an increasing number of bar pros are instead looking to the clear rock in the middle of the glass, not just as a tool for temperature control and dilution, but as a platform for interesting ingredients. These garnishes go far beyond the classic citrus twist or mint sprig. Think: a cricket, a miniature croissant, or even a small work of art crafted out of pea shoots, delicately placed on the drink’s central ice cube.
While these garnishes make for a nice snack or a thought-provoking pairing, for unsuspecting guests who get bonked in the nose by a mini Oreo or stare straight into the eye of a gummy shark candy, they might wonder: “What the heck is on my ice?”
Prime Real Estate
One bar transforming the humble block of ice into a stage is New York City’s Clemente Bar, which overlooks the legendary dining room at Eleven Madison Park. Here, beverage director Sebastian Tollius and bar manager Richie Millwater have designed a menu of sleek, aesthetically pleasing cocktails that match the art-filled room. And in the quest to make drinks that stand out from the pack, Tollius found the answer staring right back at him. “The ice cube is like an empty canvas,” he says. “It’s something we haven’t utilized too much in the past outside of the ice stamp.”
For many drinks on Clemente Bar’s menu, this comes in the form of a geometric, edible garnish — whether it’s a square of dehydrated papaya on the Army Brat, a frozen wheel of Campari and sweet vermouth on the Negroni Colada, or the disc of white chocolate and dehydrated tomato salt on the Tomatina highball.
Left Side: Manhatta East River, Credit: Kristen Hubby /
Right Side: Zest Seoul, Credit: Instagram
Another bar adopting this approach is Denver’s Lady Jane. Partner and general manager Stuart Weaver has always been drawn to the idea of a minimalist garnish and he’s found that perching a simple ingredient on the cocktail ice makes a statement without being too flashy.
“I think people are moving toward minimalist garnishes in general,” Weaver says. Sometimes that means using a simple citrus circle and other times it entails delicately placing a pretzel, piece of popcorn, or, in the case of Lady Jane’s deviled-egg-inspired cocktail, a whole cured yolk on the drink. “The nice large ice cubes give you a flat space, so you can be more creative with what you do with it,” he says.
Left Side: Field Notes at Crane Club, Credit: Ashley Sears / Right Side: Strawberry Social at Lady Jane, Credit Connor Stehr
Finding a Function
Though shock value can be part of the experience, bartenders are using this style of garnishing to introduce thoughtful touches that add to the cocktail’s overall flavor profile or concept.
At NYC’s newly opened Crane Club, bar manager Chris Lemperle designed a garnish to double down on the flavors in his Field Notes cocktail. The milk punch-style drink is loosely inspired by a green tea mochi, layering different expressions of matcha and rice, including a toasted-rice-infused vodka and, of course, the garnish: a vegan matcha crispy. Reminiscent of childhood Rice Krispies treats, the small bite combines marshmallow, cocoa butter, matcha powder, and puffed rice, and is meant to be picked up and eaten as a pairing. “It’s subtle, visually fun, and nostalgic,” Lemperle says. “But it’s not so much where it detracts from the overall experience.”
For the world’s best bars, it’s a way to make a statement and implement playful ingredients while still maintaining a serious, refined look.
Ramsey Musk, bartender and founder of roving cocktail pop-up Mama’s Boy, also plays with the ice cube’s surface to drive home the overall theme of his drinks. “Garnishes should always serve a purpose,” Musk says. “For me, it tends to look cleaner and more appealing to the eye when the function of the garnish is combined with a striking visual.”
One of Musk’s creations, Cricket Cricket, is a riff on the Grasshopper made with rum, mezcal, génépy, cacao, salt, and mint. Visually, the cocktail doesn’t resemble the creamy, pastel green original at all. The one hint at the drink’s inspiration? The edible grasshopper perched on its ice cube.
Left Side: Negroni Colada at Clemente Bar, Credit: Instagram / Right Side: Cricket Cricket at Mama’s Boy, Credit: Robert Campbell
While some of these garnishes are meant to be eaten, others are destined to fall into the drink. The garnish on Clemente Bar’s Negroni Colada, for example, sits on the ice ready to be deployed as a sort of ticking flavor bomb. The cocktail combines two fan favorites: the Negroni and the Piña Colada. While the drink that first appears in front of the guest is notably more colada-like, when the garnish drops into the drink, the flavor profile immediately starts to evolve. This secret ingredient is made with Campari, sweet vermouth, and juniper-infused water that’s frozen into a disc, so as it integrates the cocktail starts to develop more Negroni characteristics with each sip.
Trending Techniques
Why is this garnish format so hot right now? For the world’s best bars, it’s a way to make a statement and implement playful ingredients while still maintaining a serious, refined look. The concept of a croissant clinging to the side of a drink might sound like a gimmick diners would encounter at a tacky bottomless brunch. But at Zest, a top bar in Seoul, the Last Piece cocktail served with a miniature pastry floating in the middle of the clear drink is a work of art.
The bar world’s trending techniques also contributed to the trend. Naturally, the rise in serious ice programs behind the bar was essential to this concept, but the increased interest in clarified cocktails also played a part. From the Cricket Cricket to the Negroni Colada, most of the cocktails mentioned here are clarified. The stark contrast between the translucent liquid, stunningly clear ice, and singular floating object makes for a striking presentation.
As social media and “best of” lists increasingly dictate where we choose to drink, it’s important for bars to stand out. “So much of what we do is as much online as it is at the bar,” Crane Club’s Lemperle says. “Gone are the classic twists and cherries of yesteryear. People are using such high-level techniques, and pushing the envelope with cool garnishes that are edible and complementary to what’s in the glass… with the right amount of restraint.”
Set Design: Maggie DiMarco
Food Styling: Fatima Khamise
The article Hey Bartender, What the Heck Is on My Ice? appeared first on VinePair.