CLEVER FIND – Ice Balls

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor

There is nothing better than an ice cold alcoholic beverage on a hot summer day. As my palate changes over the years, I find myself enjoying my parents go-to summer drink – the gin & tonic. Unlike vodka, which is pretty well odorless, tasteless and colorless,  gin has some, shall we say, attitude. Each brand has its own flavor and makes for a very personal experience on which best suits one’s taste.

To the discernible gin and tonic drinker, there has been many discussions on which brand is best. All are in agreement, however, that the key to a good gin and tonic is that it is served very cold, as a recent study at Brock University, Ontario Canada supports. It appears that the bitter flavor intensifies the colder the drink is – and yes, that is a good thing.

For any cocktail, melting ice cubes can ruin a good drink. One of the reasons that I enjoy a gin & tonic so much is that it is a drink that you sip slowly. Keeping it cold without it being diluted is a challenge. Prepara’s Ice Balls gives my parents old fashion gin & tonic a modern twist (pun intended) that will not water down the cocktail. Not only are these ice balls 2 inches in diameter each – making for a slow melt, but they can also be infused with flavor. A zest of lemon or lime works beautifully for a gin and tonic. Think of these for any summer drink. A mint ice ball for your mojito or a slice of orange for a tequila sunrise. Adding berries or edible flowers (see our piece on edible flowers) to the ice balls make a beautiful presentation in a large pitcher or punch bowl. A plain ice ball, with its slow melt, would make any scotch drinker happy. The possibilities are endless. Those long hot summer evenings just got a little better.

Buy Ice Balls directly from Prepara or Amazon for $9.99.