Ice

Ice is a necessary yet often overlooked component of many cocktails, understandably because it only really serves one purpose: cooling your drink. However, it also dilutes your drink, which might be a good thing depending on what you're making (such as a "rum and coke"...5 parts rum, 2 drops of coke)...but if it's not, then you may want to put some more consideration into your ice.

I came across this video a few months ago:



Pretty cool, right? Simple concept...make one large ice cube for your cocktail for slower dilution while still cooling your drink. I watched this and thought it would be pretty cool to own a contraption like this. Of course, that was until I saw the price. I couldn't find a price for this particular Macallan model, but similar models were nearly $200. No thanks.

Thankfully, I was able to browse around and find something that serves the same purpose, though not as flashy, for about $12. Considering we're talking about frozen water here, I opted for this one. The device is simply a silicone ball with a small hole at the top where you can fill it with water; after sticking it in the freezer, it comes apart at the half to remove the ice ball. That said, you could probably put together a homemade contraption to serve the same purpose for even cheaper.

Some trendy bars are implementing this same method; one local bar, The Bookstore, chips at large ice blocks for a solid chunk of ice in their cocktails.

If you're interested in the ice ball maker I bought, you can get it here (picture below):
MUJI Ice Maker