Skip to main content

Get a New Set of Balls Thanks to Wintersmiths and The Macallan’s Ice Ball Maker

ice ball maker
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Depending on how serious you are about your cocktails (and, at least for us here at the Manual, we’re as serious about our cocktails as the Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin was about the word “Crikey”), you may or may not have ever thought about the ice in your drink beyond, “is there ice in my drink?” After checking out the new ice ball maker that Wintersmiths and The Macallan have teamed up to create, though, we think you’ll start thinking about ice in a whole new way.

Ice balls are important for cocktails for a few reasons. First, the shape helps slow dilution. With square cubes, or many small ice cubes, there is more surface area, leading to faster dilution. Second, a clear ice ball just looks damn pretty. If you’ve got an amazing spirit in your glass, why screw it up with cloudy ice?

Recommended Videos

The Ice Baller Double works by using your regular tap water and directionally freezing it to remove air bubbles and impurities in the water, leaving you with crystal clear ice balls that are two 2.36” (60mm) in diameter. (Fewer impurities and air bubbles also leads to less of a chance of the ice cracking, which would again lead to more ice surface area which would, as you just learned, lead to faster dilution.)

The entire Ice Baller Double is made from BPA-free plastic, FDA approved food-grade silicone, and EPE foam and measures 7” x 4” x 7”, so clear out those popsicles you bought when you were drunk last summer because Otter Pops sounded like a really good idea and put this in there instead. They were a bad idea then, and they’re still a bad idea now. Clear ice, however, is a wonderful idea.

You can buy the Ice Baller Double on its own for $80 or, the better option (especially if you’re a traveler) is to pick up the Ice Baller Double in an exclusive bundle that also contains a bottle of Macallan Rare Cask Black (48% ABV, non-chill filtered). The special edition package retails for $495 and can be found in key travel retail airport locations throughout the Asia Pacific region.

Sam Slaughter
Sam Slaughter was the Food and Drink Editor for The Manual. Born and raised in New Jersey, he’s called the South home for…
Skrewball and Yung Gravy are collaborating to “Give Thanks and Get Basted” this Thanksgiving
Skrewball and Yung Gravy want to help you get "basted" this Thanksgiving
Skrewball

In a collaboration you didn't realize you needed, well-known peanut butter whiskey brand Skrewball Whiskey is partnering with rapper Yung Gravy to "Give Thanks and Get Basted" this Holiday season. And yes, you read that right. Get basted, not wasted.
Skrewball Baster Set

To encourage getting basted around your friends and family instead of the awkwardness of getting wasted (as long as you don't overindulge with this peanut butter whiskey), Skrewball Whiskey and Yung Gravy are releasing a limited-edition Skrewball Baster Set. The set includes seven 50ml Skrewball shot basters, a wooden baster holder, and a gravy boat to (for some reason) fill with Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey.

Read more
Hidden Barn releases its popular Madeira Finished Bourbon
This is the third release of Hidden Barn's popular Madeira Finished Bourbon
Hidden Barn

If you’re a fan of unique finished whiskeys, you’ll be stoked to see what Hidden Barn Bourbon is releasing. It’s the distillery’s third annual Madeira finished bourbon, and it’s called Hidden Barn Perfect Harmony because it’s all about balance between the sweet corn flavor of the whiskey and the added Madeira wine flavors.
Hidden Barn Perfect Harmony Madeira Finished Bourbon

It starts with a bourbon whiskey made with a mash bill of 70% corn, 20% rye, and 10% malted barley. It was first matured in charred American oak barrels for six years before being finished for seven months in Madeira casks.

Read more
The battle of brews: Pour over vs. drip coffee explained
Explore extraction method, customization, and flavor differences
pour over coffee

Drip coffee has been a staple in households for years. It uses an automatic brewing system that requires only coffee grounds and water. This method is ideal for making coffee for several people at once; chances are this is the method your parents and grandparents use every morning.

Although drip coffee is the most well-known form of coffee brewing, various other methods can also result in a bold brew. Pour-over coffee is another popular option that uses a manual, handcrafted brewing method that involves pouring hot water over coffee grounds in a filter to create a custom cup of coffee. Both drip coffee and pour-over coffee deliver a great cup of coffee, but each has a unique brewing method. Understanding their differences is critical before determining which brewing method works best for you.
What is drip coffee?

Read more