2000s Archive

Another Round

Originally Published July 2009

.

)nly in Japan, where something as mundane as making tea can be elevated to an elaborate ritual, would bartenders spend years of apprenticeship carving ice cubes into ice spheres. It’s not a particularly difficult skill to master, but you may well be wondering why anyone would bother. Well, spheres look great, for starters, but it’s also true that they have less surface area than cubes, so they melt more slowly, keeping your drink from premature dilution. Now you can wow your guests without risking frostbite. Taisin, a Japanese company (of course), makes a device that uses heat and gravity to convert an ice cube into a perfect orb (japantrendshop.com; from $170). But if you don’t mind a little wabi (imperfection), The Museum of Modern Art (momastore.org) sells an ice mold that works surprisingly well (see photo above). And it’s only $16. That’s how much two Gläce Luxury Ice spheres (glace-ice.com) will set you back, shipping not included.

Comments

Post a Comment

Please note that Gourmet magazine ceased publication after the November 2009 issue.

Subscribers can look forward to receiving Bon Appétit magazine for the remainder of their subscription. If you have questions about your Gourmet magazine subscription, please contact subscription services. If you'd like to purchase past issues of Gourmet, please go to the Condé Nast store.

We regret any inconvenience and thank you for your loyal readership.

Subscribe to Gourmet

Conde Nast Store
Give the Gift of Gourmet

Subscribe

Subscribe to Gourmet
Diary of a Foodie

From Vermont to Vietnam, take a global culinary tour with season three of our award-winning public television show, Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie.
Video

Watch chef Chris Cosentino use a blowtorch, a razor, and a carving knife to butcher a whole pig’s head, which he uses to make porchetta di testa.