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Every so often, we have an opportunity to review new products to see how well they might work for the home mixologist. Recently, we had the pleasure of trying the NewAir AI-215SS Portable Ice Maker. For several years now, we have seen similar devices in catalogs and gadget advertisements and and we always wondered how these miraculous machines actually work. It's never obvious just looking at a picture, and even in a store you may not know what to expect. We thought Summit Sips readers would appreciate an honest assessment after some hands-on experience with one of these.
The Shipment It only took a few days once confirmed by NewAir for the shipment to arrive. The unit came nicely packed and very well protected for the journey to our door. Ours is a top-of-the-line stainless steel model, although the top lid is black. The exterior surfaces came with
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A few months ago we picked up another set of ice molds. In one of our first posts ever we explored the virtues of a diverse ice program followed by an early exploration of ice spheres. Later, we posted a followup and wrote about making ice shards for taller drinks. Since it has been a while, we thought we could revisit this topic. We still can't afford to spend thousands of dollars on a Taisin solid metal "melting" mold (at least not one big enough), so we are always looking for new and better designs that use the slow process of freezing shapes.
There are several options available today—many more than when we first explored the idea. We still love the molds from Muji.com but we recently expanded our collection with Click here and take a bigger gulp of this article. . .
For many people, September 19th is just an ordinary day. But for others, it is an anniversary or maybe even a birthday. Somehow, this day also became International Talk Like a Pirate Day. We've mentioned this in the past, and even wrote an entire post in pirate-speak. Today we are simply going to feature Navy Grog as our drink of the week.
There are as many Grog recipes as there are pirates with patched eyes. It seems that for every combination of rums there is some version of grog. One popular and historic Navy Grog calls for three types of rum: light Puerto Rican rum, dark Jamaican, and Demerara. It employs citrus in the form of lime and grapefruit juice and uses honey syrup to balance the sour.
Navy Grog 1 oz light Puerto Rican rum 1 oz dark Jamaican rum 1 oz Demerara rum
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I have to start with a word of caution. If you decide to make this Drink of the Week including it's fiery presentation, proceed carefully. I have always been an advocate of responsible drinking and although that applies here too, there's no reason to come this far only to let your hair catch on fire! That being said, there are alternatives if you don't have the proper bowl or if you want to avoid the flames altogether. We'll get to that, but first, let's talk Tiki.
Over the years there have been several "bowl" style drink recipes that, for me, epitomize the laid-back attitude of tropical consumption. While I enjoy an outlandish ceramic Tiki mug filled with exotic juice and rum as much as the next beach bum, I also appreciate the idea that sometimes a drink is just so big (or so strong) that it needs to be shared
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Well, we had our first real snowfall here in the Twin Cities today, so I figured what better time to say a few things about ice. I have written before about the importance of using proper ice in cocktails. Whether you are making a recipe that calls for crushed ice or one that requires solid cubes for shaking, using the right ice for the job is more important than most people realize. You can read all about that here, so let's move on and explore the idea of the ice shard.
In addition to just serving drinks on the rocks, sometimes a recipe works nicely with a huge chunk that almost fills the glass. Ice spheres are great for this. Their large mass keeps everything cold, and the low surface area keeps the ice from melting. But what about
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This week's Drink Of The Week is the Mint Julep. With Derby Day just around the corner and a spring that started early in the midwest, it's time to get your mint in the ground. Even if it wont be ready by Sunday, there will be plenty of oppurtunity for you to use mint in cocktails this summer. In the mean time, pick up some fresh mint at the grocery store and I'll show you how to make this delicious classic.
The Mint Julep is probably the oldest cocktail there is. Today, it's a southern tradition that has been popular for centuries, and it's also the official drink of the Kentucky Derby. That's because the Julep we know is usually made with delicious Kentucky Bourbon, but it wasn't always so.
Early accounts of the Julep represent this drink as a medicinal libation, or more specifically, a vehicle for
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A while back, I posted a lengthy description about How To Make Ice Spheres. If you recall, spheres of ice that fill your glass originated in Japan where they are hand-carved behind the bar. The large spheres keep drinks cold with very slow dilution. Not wanting to risk slicing a finger, I opted for alternatives to carving, but the best alternative is a very expensive ice melting device. So, I explored slow-molding options and until recently had settled on a two-part 3-sphere ice tray to pull this off. My tedious process often involved refreezing mis-shapen "eggs" in order to get the proper spherical aesthetic—until now!
Enter the Muji silicone Ice Ball mold. This unique and inexpensive mold does a fantastic job making spheres without the problems and hassles associated with a thin plastic tray. I was so happy to finally see these in stock at Muji online
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Anyone who knows me understands that I enjoy antique shopping. It's often furniture that most people associate with antiques, and I admit that I am constantly on the lookout for new pieces. But in addition to all of the items you might find to decorate your home, there is an incredible variety of glassware and miscellaneous bar tools to uncover. You won't always find bargain prices, but you can find unique items. My wife and I especially enjoy hitting weekend estate sales and seasonal antique shows, but any shop or showroom of dealers can yield treasures.
So, what does this have to do with ice? In our last Drink Of The Week we poured our cocktail over crushed ice and I mentioned that I crush mine by hand. I thought I would share some of the tools I use for this and hopefully inspire you look for cocktails that
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Chimp In Orbit, huh? This ought to be good! I admit, it's a really odd name for a drink. So, why monkeys in space?
This week in history. . . I was researching this week in history and found a few things that seemed thematic to me, although not every story has a good ending. First, on this day in 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded. I know, it's not a happy event, and it's certainly not an image most of us will forget. So, let's just get the sad stuff out of the way first. In the coming week on February 1, 2003, the world watched in shock and disbelief as the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart on re-entry. Again, it's another sad day for the space program. Meaning no disrespect to those brave spacefarers who lost their lives, there were a couple positive achievements that also occurred.
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In a recent article, I described the importance of ice in your cocktail, describing the different kinds of ice you may want to use depending on what you are drinking. If you have ever visited the Bradstreet Crafthouse or a handful of other fine destinations, you may have marveled at the drinks that feature incredible spheres of ice—smooth glacial planetoids that literally span the entire width of the glass. Much more than mere aesthetics, these arctic wonders are functional, keeping their cocktails cold while minimizing dilution. That's because a sphere has the smallest possible surface area for a given volume. Less surface area means less melt, and that results in longer sip time without loss of flavor or temperature.
So how does a bar create a 3-inch sphere of ice? The only answer, up until a couple of years ago was that they carved it! The ice sphere
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Antique/Vintage Store Spotlight:
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