Ask a Bartender: What’s With All the Ice?
Tuesday, June 02, 2015
Pam Martin, GoLocal Ask A Bartender Columnist
Usually it’s because you didn’t order a whiskey neat.
There are many reasons besides the obvious rationale—temperature. Expert mixologists have numerous explanations for why ice is necessary in your drink. Some go as far as arguing that it is the most important ingredient. The science behind it stems from the dimension of the ice and how fast it melts, to the purity and flavor of the water used to make the ice.
Aside from the science of it all, most people, particularly in the summer, like to enjoy a cold beverage. It’s rare that someone says “Mmm, I would love a room temperature Mai Tai right now!” So when a customer comes to the bar and orders a mixed drink, we add ice so that is even more enjoyable. Adding ice to your drink is not a trick bartenders use to give you less liquor. The average liquor pour is 1.5-2 ounces depending on recipe and establishment. This doesn’t change when we add ice. Many clever patrons think that they have cracked the code so they will specify no ice in their order. That’s fine. It doesn’t mean you are going to get a glass filled to the brim with liquor. It just means you are going to get a glass that isn’t filled, but has the same amount of liquor and other ingredients, and is luke warm. Oh, and it means the barbacks can wait a little longer before they have to push through the crowd with a bucket of fresh ice. So at least someone is making out well in that situation.
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In all seriousness, there is a long history behind ice, which actually has Massachusetts roots. In the eighteenth century, having ice at home was a luxury, and required a lot of upkeep. Only the most elite could afford to offer their guests ice. In that day ice in your cocktail would not have been scoffed at. Frederic Tudor, of the famous Boston-based Tudor family, built a business around shipping ice all over the world, becoming known as the “Ice King”. There is your dash of history for the weekend. Now you can enjoy an ice cold beverage.
Pam Martin bartends at Compass Tavern at 90 Harding Street in Worcester every Friday night and Sunday afternoon.
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