The dog days of summer are upon us here in Minnesota. It's the perfect time to enjoy the shade with an ice cold refreshing drink. Whether on your own or in the company of others, one minor detail that goes a long way to elevating the experience is crystal clear ice. For some, the following may seem like an absurd length to go for frozen water, but ice will contribute to the temperature, aroma, taste and the overall look of your drink. For those paying attention, that is four of our five bodily senses that are crucial for enjoying a well made beverage. As far as I'm concerned, that cold summer beverage better have some damn fine ice.
Therefore, I'd like to share with you my home-made method for the ice I consume in my leisure time.
First, start with your choice of natural spring water gushing from some part of the earth near you or....your local supermarket.
Next, boil the hell out of it. The water will probably be fine, but this is a preventative measure to eliminate all impurities if present.
Find yourself a cooler like this Coleman and clean it. Pour in your precious water.
The next step is of great importance. The key thing is a slow freeze. Therefore, I place my cooler of water, with the top propped up a bit, in a freezer set at the mid-range temperature. This way my cooler will get cold enough, but it will drastically slow down the process. The open top will allow for airflow and adequate expansion.
After approximately forty-eight hours, you should have a gorgeous frozen block of (mostly) clear ice. Now comes the fun part. While it is certainly feasible to use molds, I enjoy the randomness of shape the results from simply applying a hammer and chisel. Leaving the block of ice out for a bit to melt and soften will certainly aid your cause.
When you've hacked away enough to produce a satisfactory amount of cubes, you'll be ready to enjoy a well-deserved dram of your daily sipper, all the while taking in the pleasure of watching a few crystal clear cubes dance around your glass.
