Ice is undergoing a renaissance as Americans become interested in buying and using specialty molds and innovative recipes, reports The New York Times.
On TikTok, designer ice has become a phenomenon. One of the relevant hashtags, #icetok, has garnered almost 950 million views. The interest in ice as both a hobby for aesthetics and a way to elevate a drink skyrocketed during the pandemic. Cocktail writer Camper English said of the lock-down period, “I think some people made sourdough and kimchi, and other people made ice cubes.
“I know there’s been a steady increase [in specialty ice], but some switch flipped in the past six months…I feel like it’s everywhere, particularly with those videos.”
One such type of video gaining interest is ice restock videos, which show a content creator organizing dozens of different types of ice in their freezer. In one video with over 17 million views, TikTok creator Kami Mehta, who has over two million followers, organizes ice into different shapes, then moves on to ice infused with fruits like orange, and lime. She also has ice tailored to iced coffee.
“It’s a fascinating thing that’s part of our daily life,” said Leslie Kirchhoff, founder of Disco Cubes, a custom ice company in Los Angeles. “And you can make it as exciting or as normal as you want.” Full Story (Subscription Required)
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