Goodness Gracious, Great Balls of Ice!

As you might recall, previously I made mention of a place by the name of The Patterson House. You know, the new Nashville bar that is every cocktail connoisseur’s dream? Besides the extraordinary drinks, the fabulous food and the gorgeous wallpaper, I’m also enamored with their ice.

Each cocktail is crafted to perfection, so only a fool would mess it all up by using just any old ice cube. At The Patterson House, eight different types of ice perfectly complement each beverage. Your first thought might be- that’s a bit gimmicky – but then, you get it. Or at least I did.

You see, I’m notorious for moving on to the next drink while leaving behind a good amount of liquid in the bottom of my glass. The simple reason- I don’t like to drink swill. It was recently pointed out to me that most bars use what’s called “cheater” ice– ice that melts almost immediately, watering down your drink. The bars that really know what they are doing put a little more attention into this oft-neglected ingredient, resulting in drinks that you want to savor until the very last drop.

Of the eight variations at The Patterson House, one ice in particular dazzled even the hard-to-impress boys at the table on our last visit. The Ice Sphere. After much examination, we declared this ice the coolest. (pun intended)

The next morning as I sifted through my most recent issue of Food & Wine magazine, what appeared before my very eyes? Ice sphere trays! How happy would hubby be if he had his own set to play with at home? Well, I’ll tell you- pretty darn happy. Without further ado, please meet the newest addition to our home bar-

Spherical Ice Tray Set

Who knows if our home-produced spheres will be as magical as the ones at The Patterson House, but at the very least they’ll be an interesting topic of conversation with our guests! I’m thinking flower petals or fruit suspended in ice will make for quite a lovely cocktail…….