Ice - The bartender's secret weapon?

An article in the Philadelphia Inquirer by Allison Steele investigates ice as the bartender's secret weapon.

​To bartenders and beverage managers at some Philadelphia cocktail bars, ice is one of the most important ingredients, a crucial tool for bringing a spirit, mixed drink, or mocktail to the right temperature. The thought of making a drink with cubes from a regular freezer tray is almost cringeworthy.

"Well-made ice and ice that comes from, say, a hotel machine, is like the difference between cooking a meal using a cast-iron pan or a microwave," says Canyon Shayer, bar manager at Philadelphia Distilling.

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I'd say it is a secret weapon that is becoming less secret as people experience it.