Howard's Technology Blog

Make an ice ball for your whiskey

Have you ever wondered why ice-balls used in the bar do not become watery and why they last long even to the end of the drink?  The answer is quite simple, most bars owners know the trick of using ice-balls made.  Next time you want to take a drink at home, here are the few steps to make an ice ball for your whiskey.  First of all, it is imperative to understand that ice balls are not for all types of whiskies.  Japanese whiskies make best ice balls we are told. When you want to make an ice ball for your whiskey make sure to have the following items.

• A wide rimmed glass
• Japanese whiskey works better or a can of beer can still do
• A clear block of ice (made from boiled water and kept in the fridge over-night)
• An ice pick and a small knife
• It is also important to have a knife (Hattori) if possible

If one has a mold then a small knife and Hattori knife are not necessary.  This is because no shaping and chipping is done.  With the above items at hand, the process does not take long.    The ice is cut into portions, hand-curved and chipped then made into ice-balls.   The ice-balls work best in wide rimmed glasses and are placed in glasses with narrow bottom where the ice ball is held.  They take longer to melt thereby maintaining the taste of whiskey to the end.The ice-balls are meant to be the size of a handball to fit effectively in a glass.  The ice-balls once shaped or molded are best kept in a freezer.  They can be stored in a bowl or in ice-ball trays.   This will help in retaining their shape and preventing them from melting.  Manual shaping of ice-balls is not very common with the onset of molds. A lot of Japanese bar tenders still perform the act of shaping the ice-balls manually.    This they with a lot of expertise, it takes them less than 10 minutes to have a ready to use ice-ball.

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