Névé Ice Event at Church & State
Went to an event last night sponsored by Névé Ice, a company trying to prove that while people have been getting more and more innovative with their cocktails over the years, they haven’t given enough attention to the ice.
I had a pleasant time, thanks in large part to the company, which included Golden State co-owner (and Man Bites World regular) Jason Bernstein.
The event was set up by barmen Michel Dozois (Church & State, Comme Ca, stk bar) and San Francisco visitor John Santer. Each table had liquor and various mixers, and the guests were instructed on how to make the same drinks twice each— once with regular old bar ice, and the other with the Névé stuff.
The ice pieces are big. You get one piece per drink, and they come in hi-ball (tall and cylindrical) old-fashioned (a big, wide brick) and shaking (a big cube). The idea, as I’m sure you can guess, is to chill the drink without melting too much water. Also, obviously, it makes the drink last longer without becoming a watered down mess.
(Note, this problem can also be avoided by exclusively drinking Jameson straight, and at room temperature— a strategy that I have been enjoying of late.)
There were a lot of different examples used to prove their points, but the purest proof of the ice’s functionality was shown when we made two straight vodka martinis— one with the Névé ice and one with regular bar ice. The one with bar ice was much more diluted and nearly flavorless. The other was much purer. It tasted of chilled vodka and nothing more.
So in the end, what the ice is able to accomplish is to give a drink maker much more control over the cocktails they’re creating, which sounds good to me.
Plus, we each got a fancy Grey Goose carrying case filled with bar tools. I’ll take it (and did).
