The ice at the Franklin, a swank saloon specializing in pre-Prohibition cocktails, arrives in 40- to 50-pound chunks, chiseled before service into the right size and shape to perfectly chill a handful of artisanal drinks on the menu.
Why take a pick to a frozen block when it's so much easier to put cubed ice in a glass?
"Because," said Michael Welsh, managing partner at the Franklin," block ice has a larger surface area. It keeps the drink cold without diluting it. Cubes have the propensity to melt and dilute the cocktail. We love block ice because when you use it, the last sip of that drink tastes as good as the first sip. And that's ultimately our goal."
While Franklin doesn't display the block behind the bar - a space issue - at R2L, sommelier and bar manager, Ryan Davis shows off the massive berg to his bar customers. "We're making drinks the way they used to be," he said. "And block ice is part of that movement."
Because R2L was built to suit, the design included extra floor drains and a designated area for chipping, which makes a bit of a mess. "The plan was to keep the bar both visually appealing and functional," he said.
Like Welsh, Davis was inspired by pre-Prohibition-era cocktailing, a purist approach that doesn't hold with froufrou drinks and flavored vodkas. "The idea is to really taste the spirits, not hide the flavor of the alcohol," he said. "What Dan [Stern, chef/owner of R2L] is doing with the food, we're trying to do with the cocktails. And the block ice is part of that."
