Snow Flake Ice Cube Tray

A snowflake-patterned ice cube tray from Esplanda, made for freezing decorative ice at home. The pattern is the point. Each cube picks up the snowflake motif, so a drink with one or two cubes shows the design through the glass. Check the packaging for the material, cavity count and cube size before you buy, since those details decide how much it suits your glassware. Ice shaped this way suits spirits served on the rocks, where one or two cubes sit visibly in the glass. Whisky, bourbon, aged rum and dark amaro all work well. A patterned cube melts about as fast as a standard small cube, so for slow sipping, pour over a full glass of ice and drink at an unhurried pace. For fast-diluting drinks such as highballs, gin and tonic, vodka soda or a spritz, the cubes are best used in numbers, since a full glass of ice stays colder and dilutes less than a few cubes. For clearer, sturdier cubes, fill the tray with water that has been boiled and cooled, or use filtered water, and freeze it level on a flat shelf away from strongly scented foods. Let the tray sit briefly at room temperature before releasing the cubes, which reduces cracking and keeps the pattern sharp. Match the cube to the glass. Rocks or old fashioned tumblers show off one or two cubes best. Taller highball and Collins glasses take more of them. Skip coupes and flutes, which are served without ice.