To Ice or Not to Ice

It’s been months since I’ve had a proper cocktail and I miss Everything about it.  Watching every effortless move of the bartender as the magic unfolds in front of me. They pour this, mix that, heel click as they dance with the shaker.

And of course, that first sip. Damnit, I miss it.

Sure, most of us don’t have the gadgets, tools, and skills to try to replicate our favorite cocktails in our own homes.  There are many aspects behind the bar that are key staples in building a cocktail, whether it be equipment or ingredients.

But one of them you can have, or already have on hand… ICE!

You know what I mean though when I say Ice, right?

The shape, feel, weight of a large ice cube in an Old Fashioned. A skinny cube tube in a Tom Collins or crushed ice in a Moscow Mule.  I’m here to tell you, you can have these things. Yes, in your own home, your own freezer, to have for yourself or to share with friends.

You’re probably thinking sure, I have ice. Yes, yes, BUT! I must ask you, are you sure you want to drink with that foggy ice, scented with freezer burn pork chops? 

Or did you forget how it’s always an ordeal to get the dang things out of those dinky trays in the first place? The whole twist the tray this way and that way. Shake the tray to make the cubes jump, and of course the one (or two) that get away… falling on to the floor to explode into smaller pieces and slide across all corners of the room.

Ugh! Now that’s not what anyone wants to deal with when getting to their cocktail or stiff pour.  So if that’s not enough to remind you and convince you to drop kick your current ice cube tray to the curb. Well, this will. 

Say hello to PEAK. These silicon trays are soft to the touch, even soft enough to rub on your face (but go ahead and pass on that for now). The silicon helps glide the ice out with ease without any sudden surprises or having to chase the cube(s) across the room.  Each cube has its own space with some separation from its neighbor making it extra easy to select whatever ice in the tray you want. The inner outlined edge is built with steel to give you sturdy ends to hold as get you from the sink to the freezer with no balancing act needed. And each tray has a silicon cover to keep the ice safe from unwanted freezer scents or if you want to stack your trays.

Do I need to say more?

Yes, I must.  Because there is one tray I’d love to highlight. The Sphere Tray!  They come in a single ice mold, a two pack or a four pack. In the past, the other so-called sphere trays I have used were useless.  The hard plastic trays never guaranteed true sphere molded ice and it also made it impossible to pry open and even lead to some blood being shed.  But never again, PEAK eliminates all of that!  The silicon sphere molds clip shut and filling with water is a breeze. Into the freezer and when ready, the most perfect circle molds slide right out. I was so impressed the first time, I found myself just holding the sphere in my hands mesmerized by its shape.

Currently, in my freezer I have the Everyday Ice Tray, the Extra Large Ice Tray and the Sphere Ice Tray.  I am a lady that likes her pours neat, but I find I have been reaching for ice more often and it must be because of the ease PEAK provides with every one of their trays.  Spheres and Large Cubes I pull out for an evening of straight whiskey pours and Everyday Cubes are great for just that, everyday uses and mixing up cocktails in your shaker or mixer.

The Everyday Ice Tray getting some plant love.

To get more detailed and inspire some weekend fun on your end… every weekend our household enjoys bacon and mimosas (Yes, it’s true. We do!) And on weekends we want to step it up, we will have French 75s. The Everyday Cubes go into our shaker and since we like it extra cold, we also throw in a large cube or sphere in our rocks glass to enjoy our cocktail! I also love using the large cubes for an ice bath for a fresh batch of hard-boiled eggs.

I will admit, the one item I would Not recommend it the Clear Ice Mold. This contraption is pretty cool, but the thang is Huge taking up a ton of freezer space… and it makes only One, Singular cube!?! So if you really want that clear ice and you are in the Portland, OR area, PDX ICE has your back! You can have clear ice delivered to your door or you can pick up a pack at Zupan’s Market.

Back to PEAK, looking at the website, the company has added more to their PEAK Collection with Ice Tray Sets, a Popcorn Popper bowl, and even an Ice Tray Recipe Book!  Not only can you have proper ice in your household, you can also treat yourself and friends to some chilled desserts using these PEAK trays! Also on their website, you can explore their other collections of eco-friendly to-go mugs and containers, cocktail kits/gifts and syrups, and books.

Places are starting to open up again. The sun is coming out to play. Reach for these PEAK Ice trays for ice that won’t fight back when you want to chill your beverage of choice.

Cheers!

xXo,

Mo.