If you are reading this, you made it! Things weren't uncomplicated but we all survived the best ways we knew how. I'm sure some beverages and clear ice were involved. 

The tides rise and fall, and so do the drinks in our glasses. The clear ice life continues for us all!

I came across this article online which shared some perspectives from ​LushICE in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

That makes a ton of sense.

Read the whole article to learn more.

We are welcoming Diamond Arctic Ice to the Maker Directory! I had a chance to catch up with Danielle O'Connor, the VP of Sales to ask her a few questions about what makes Diamond Arctic Ice unique. 

1. How did you get into making clear ice personally? What do you personally like about it? 
At Diamond Arctic Ice we believe ice should enhance the visual impact and overall taste of cocktails, spirits, iced coffees, teas, and other drinks.

Making Diamond Arctic Ice is a thoughtful and meticulous process, but well worth the wait. We pour over every detail so that the purity of our ice allows the true flavor of your beverage to take center stage. We’re passionate about creating a hand-crafted and world-class experience for our patrons.

The craft ice we provide is an important piece of our company, but personal service is of the utmost importance. This is why we have built the Diamond Arctic Ice Experience around three core values.

Core Value #1 - Passion
We are dedicated to one profession - providing the best craft ice experience to our patrons. Passion places the patron at the center of our attention. Delivering excellence is not simply a marketing promise, it's our obsession.

Core Value #2 - Excellence
To deliver the best experience, we personalize each point of contact with great care and attention to detail. We consistently strive for excellence and share the desire to surpass expectations in order to offer the best to our patrons.

Core Value #3 - Capturing the Moments
We all treasure special moments! Moments are made monumental when captured forever. Diamond Arctic Ice is crafted from the finest materials with scrupulous attention to detail. Every piece is designed, developed, and produced in-house to the most exacting standards.  

We do more than just provide the world’s best craft ice, we believe in doing things differently. In other words, the Diamond Arctic Ice Experience is unmatched in the world of craft ice!

2. What's the background that led you to be interested in clear ice as a business and profession? 

Our team members have decades of experience as lawyers, marketing professionals,  and hospitality executives. We believe that the uniqueness of the artisan ice industry (especially in the Midwest) provides an unlimited opportunity to make a difference in a customer's experience.      

3. What's the mission of your company and how is it striving to be unique in the clear ice space? 
Greatness is everywhere in the Midwest! This part of the country has vibrant cities, lakes for days, and some of the nicest people around. By combining the natural waters of the Midwest with our proprietary filtration system, Diamond Arctic Ice has become one of the world’s leading craft ice artisans and will provide you with a unique experience that will always be remembered!  

Find out more about Diamond Arctic Ice at DiamondArcticIce.com!

We seem to be coming out the other side of a long and dark pandemic winter. I'll admit that my clear ice consumption has dropped recently. Without any gatherings to hold and cubes to cut for the guests, it's hard to justify keeping 30 pound blocks of ice in my freezer taking up all that space. 

But it does seem like we are turning a corner. Places are opening back up. Backyard BBQs might be back on the menu this summer. The clear ice will flow like glacier. Until then, I'm keeping it cozy... keeping it local... and enjoying clear ice when the liquor demands it. 

Keep it spinning out there! Enjoy the facets! 

Well that was a crazy year. Full of sadness and sacrifice. Full of hope and resilience. Through it all, we toasted our friends from a distance or over Zoom calls. We all became our own bartenders in the safety of our homes while restaurants and bars suffered along with all of us around the world.

On the eve of a new year, there is a light rising at the top of the hill with a vaccine on the horizon. Maybe I'll be able to go to an ice vendor. Maybe they will be open. Maybe so many of us will stop dying. Maybe we will be able to hug our friends again. Maybe we can toast in our houses again. Hopefully we can share the privilege of clear ice with more people again.

Stay safe out there. Welcome 2021. We've been waiting for you.  

The pandemic continues. As we all hide indoors on the second (or third?) surge... let the life force flow over the crystal cool celebrations. Here's a look into my clear ice life over the past couple of months.

Stay safe out there!

I had the opportunity to catch up with ​Kaylene Wetzstein at Creative Ice and learn a little more about how they got into the clear ice business.

Trapper: When did you first personally discover clear cocktail ice was an actual thing?
Kaylene: I got the idea to start producing craft ice in 2006 when customers started requesting blocks of ice to cut up themselves. Then I saw some of the questionable methods and coming from a culinary background I thought to myself, I can do this better and safer. 

T: What's the mission of your company and how is it striving to be unique in the clear ice space? 
K: To provide the best quality craft ice available in a variety of shapes and sizes. We provide top rated customer service and delivery to the hospitality industry and general public.

T: What has been the best part of building a clear cocktail ice business?
K: The reaction of new customer when they see the clarity and slow melting characteristics truly clear craft ice. The satisfaction that our ice has become a standard ingredient that mixologist and consumers no only want but come to expect.

T: What do you think is the next big thing for the cocktail ice industry? 
K: More availability to the general public.

Check Creative Ice out in our Makers Directory, online, Instagram, and through the pictures below!

Sometimes you are just hanging around your house and cool things happen. Recently this happened to me when J.T. Caulton of Detroit Ice Works emailed me out of the blue and asked if he could swing by my house and drop off a sample of King Cubes! 

They aren't available nationwide yet, but they should be! Luckily J.T. provided me a cooler of amazing goodies!

I can't thank J.T. enough for dropping off the King Cubes samples. I was able to catch up with him on email for a few questions later in the week. 

1. When did you first personally discover clear ice was an actual thing?
I remember going to the speakeasies and cocktail bars in New York City and in Chicago in the early 2010's and being mesmerized by the clear ice available there. Specifically, the first time was getting a cocktail at Violet Hour and marveling at how the candlelight bounced off of a beautifully translucent cube. Just as the perfect ambience can really be complimented by a great cocktail, beautiful ice really perfects that cocktail. 

2. What motivated you to make the jump to doing it professionally?
It wasn't until the craft cocktail scene gained traction in Detroit that we thought, "why don't we have clear ice here??" We kept asking that question with no apparent answer until it became clear (pun intended) to us.... we were the ones that had to do it! Looking into it, we were fascinated by the craft and science that goes into the production of clear ice. My partner and I are both engineers by trade, so that naturally appealed to us. 

3. What's the mission of your company and how is it striving to be unique in the clear ice space? 
The mission of Detroit Ice Works is to provide bars and restaurants in Metro Detroit with the highest quality clear cocktail ice and best customer service. Recently, we just launched our King Cubes product, which makes this quality of ice available for the home experience. In the age of COVID, this has become especially timely! We've taught classes on "ice history" (yes, it's a thing!) and done Japanese ice carving demonstrations. Our goal is to share our passion for the craft of clear ice with everyone. 

4. What has been the best part of building a clear ice business? 
The best part has been hands down, the people! The people we've met and the relationships we've built have been incredible. We've met the most creative, inquisitive, and talented people through Detroit Ice Works. Whether it's trialing a new concept (hello, color-changing pea flowers!) or brainstorming a new cocktail (ever try a cube that glows under UV light?), it's been heartwarming and fulfilling bringing a little joy and excitement to people through cocktails. Some of our favorite moments have been sitting at a customer's bar while overhearing someone two seats down exclaiming, "Wow! This is a gorgeous cocktail! Look at this ice!" 

5. What do you think is the next big thing for the cocktail ice industry? 
I think the hospitality industry will be fundamentally affected by COVID. Returning to just a model where tables are turned won't be the only plan going forward. I think bars and restaurants will want to have a solid carry-out and home meal prep program, as people dine-in less and cook at home more. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing - we will all just need to adapt going forward. At Detroit Ice Works we've launched carry-out cocktail ice (2 cubes in bag) for bars and restaurants, as well as our King Cube retail product (8 cubes in box) for grocery and liquor stores. As always, we are looking for ways to collaborate, whether that is other ice companies, distributors, event companies, or bars and restaurants. You can reach out to us at contact@detroiticeworks.com. Our King Cubes website is www.kingcubesice.com!