Every day, workers in Kanazawa city, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan are still diligently chiseling and cutting large stone blocks into spheres, cubes or beveled stone bars to serve high-end cocktails.
This work is being done at Kuramoto Ice - a 100-year-old company and one of the facilities in Japan specializing in producing super transparent ice, commonly known as "junpyo".
Unlike the usual ice-making method, the water here is slowly frozen for 48 - 72 hours, much longer than a few hours needed to make ice at home or 30 minutes for industrial ice machines.
During this process, impurities and air bubbles are gradually pushed towards the center. The water containing impurities is removed, replaced by new water, and the continuous stirring process helps limit air bubbles. Thanks to this, the finished ice cubes are almost completely transparent and can be cut and shaped accurately to fit each type of glass.
After packaging, the product will be stored at a temperature of minus 10 degrees Celsius before transportation.
Kuramoto Ice's crystal-like transparent ice cubes are increasingly popular in the US. The product's reputation has spread through the mixing industry, contributing to helping this company expand its international market.
Kuramoto Ice's head Kazuhiko Kuramoto said that the idea of bringing products to the US market formed after a visit to Las Vegas more than 10 years ago, when he noticed many expensive cocktails served with easily soluble ice, diluting the flavor of the drink.
Since 2019, Kuramoto Ice has recorded double sales. These special ice cubes are exported to the US, Australia and many other markets, with prices up to 200 Yen (about 1.25 USD) per ice cube.
In Singapore, Native - a bar that is on the list of 50 best bars in Asia this year - imports about 900kg of Kuramoto ice each year to serve customers. Co-owner Yong Wei assessed that this ice is more transparent and thicker, and melts slower than ice produced locally.
Mr. Shingo Miyachi - bartender at a Hilton hotel near Tokyo - revealed that the best ice is the ice that helps to fully highlight the aroma of the drink, which when dissolved, it especially affects the remaining aftertaste after you take a sip.
A cocktail is only truly complete when the glass, the ice, and the liquid blend together, creating a unified whole," Mr. Miyachi added.
