I enjoy a shmancy cocktail and there are so many mixology bars popping up everywhere with suspender-clad, mustacheod bartenders that muddle and stir up delicious drinks. The thing I'm always enchanted by is their big balls…ice balls, that is. Either round or square, many of the drinks are served with giant ice that far surpasses the normal small cubes or slivers you always see. Totally taken with these cold balls, I thought there must be a way to DIY those and get them in my home bar!
Thus, I combed the internet, reading reviews on all different giant cube trays, etc. and finally settled on these Tovolo Ice Molds that come in a set of two and you can get them in a giant sphere or giant cube shape. I decided on these because many reviews of the silicone trays said they left a weird taste and film. So, even though these molds yield only one cube each, they're perfect and tasteless and melt at a slow rate that will keep your fancy drink chilled for eons.
Speaking of fancy drinks, my new favorite drink is a Negroni which I serve using the giant cube ice mold. A Negroni is a classic drink that is bitter and delicious, the recipe is below.
DIY Negroni Cocktail
Prep It (makes one drink):
- 1 shot of gin
- 1 shot of Campari
- 1 shot of sweet Vermouth
- Orange peel for garnish
- shake equal parts gin, Campari and sweet Vermouth in a shaker with ice
- pour into a glass over your giant ice cube
- garnish with an orange peel
