{"id":539,"date":"2010-02-07T17:49:48","date_gmt":"2010-02-08T00:49:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/?p=539"},"modified":"2020-11-18T14:38:53","modified_gmt":"2020-11-18T21:38:53","slug":"cocktail-ice-shell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/2010\/02\/07\/cocktail-ice-shell\/","title":{"rendered":"Cocktail Ice Shell"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a> The Ice Shell is one of those lost arts, or perhaps, lost little extras, that went away with cheap labor. I know of only one place I can get a cocktail in an ice shell and that is the venerable Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale, FL.<\/a> If you are lucky, you’ll get your Shark Bite served in one.<\/p>\n

I was sure to ask Manager Kern Mattei just how one made this magical wonder on one of my first trips. Here I am 7 years later actually doing it.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Aku-Aku Las Vegas menu with ice shells<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why did it take me so long? I needed the right glass. And I have not searched for it continually. Today Ms. Swanky thought to look while we were at a Goodwill and we lucked upon a few perfect glasses.<\/p>\n

The right glass must be round and have a short edge. That is, it can’t come up too far or you can’t make it work.<\/p>\n

To make mine I used my go-to fine ice crusher, the Oster Sno-Flake<\/a>. It makes good fine crushed ice and is detachable from its base so you can put it over an ice bucket and crush up tons at a time. Available for cheap on Ebay and your local antique dealer.<\/p>\n

So now you have the proper glass and the fine crushed ice, using the back of a spoon (or a muddler for some glasses), press the ice into a shallow shell around the inside of the glass. Keep building it up on the edges until the inside of the entire glass is covered. Put the glass in the freezer.<\/p>\n

After it has time to freeze solid, take it out and go to the final step. I am not sure how the professionals do it. Maybe you can just let it cool on the counter for a while, but I heated the glass with my hands. You need a little warming to get the ice to separate from the glass. A little push will tell you when it is ready. Too much and you will destroy your work.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Once the ice shell is loose from the glass, you push down one edge and back fill more ice with the spoon to get the glass covered again. Then put it back in the freezer until you are ready to serve.<\/p>\n

After a few, it gets easier and your final product better. Back in the early days, there were many drinks served with ice sculpture and they had guys back there making the special sculptures all night long. I can count over a dozen with ice sculptures on the vintage Mai-Kai menu.<\/p>\n

UPDATE:<\/strong> A small bit of advice to make it all easier. Crush your ice, but let it sit a little while. You want it to be melting a little. “Wet” ice, like wet snow will pack much better and when you freeze it, it will make a stronger block.<\/p>\n

Martin Cate credits me for unearthing these instructions in his great book Smuggler’s Cove<\/a> and has good instructions on the practice.<\/p>\n

I suggest the “Shark Tooth” from Beachbum Berry’s “Grog Log”.<\/a> It will also likely be in his new book coming out soon, Re-Mixed<\/a>. Or join me at this little event I started called Hukilau <\/a>in June and we’ll try one at the Mai-Kai.<\/p>\n

If you make one of these, be sure to thank the Mai-Kai for keeping the knowledge alive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Ice Shell is one of those lost arts, or perhaps, lost little extras, that went away with cheap labor. I know of only one place I can get a Read More …<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1439,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[536,540],"tags":[485,519,581,187,609,234,702,610,611],"class_list":["post-539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cocktail-capers","category-retro-preservation","tag-beachbum-berry","tag-cocktail","tag-drink","tag-ice","tag-ice-shell","tag-mai-kai","tag-og-tiki-central","tag-shark-bite","tag-shark-tooth"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/02\/tn_shell-002-2.jpg?fit=525%2C700&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p731sH-8H","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":135,"url":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/2006\/07\/22\/aku-aku-las-vegas-drink-menu\/","url_meta":{"origin":539,"position":0},"title":"Aku Aku Las Vegas Drink Menu","author":"Swanky","date":"July 22, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"The Aku Aku in Las Vegas has always been a sort of high point to me. Vegas and tiki. And knowing Bamboo Ben's grandfather Eli Hedley put it all together makes it even better.\u00c2\u00a0Aku Aku ephemera\u00c2\u00a0is one of the few tiki things I collect. I just got this Drink Menu\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "\"Tiki\" Collecting"","block_context":{"text":"\"Tiki\" Collecting","link":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/category\/polynesian-pop\/tiki-collecting\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/07\/akuakudrinkmenu-1.jpg?fit=637%2C961&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/07\/akuakudrinkmenu-1.jpg?fit=637%2C961&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/07\/akuakudrinkmenu-1.jpg?fit=637%2C961&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1052,"url":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/2014\/06\/04\/crazy-al-creates-new-mai-kai-memories-series-molokai-maiden\/","url_meta":{"origin":539,"position":1},"title":"Crazy Al Creates New Mai-Kai Memories Series Molokai Maiden","author":"Swanky","date":"June 4, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0Only the mastery of Crazy Al could recreate this amazing carving from the Mai-Kai. The latest piece in the Mai-Kai Memories Series is the Molokai Maiden. An unreal smaller version of the iconic masthead in the Molokai Bar. It takes a 7 piece mold to get this beauty made! To\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "\"Tiki\" Collecting"","block_context":{"text":"\"Tiki\" Collecting","link":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/category\/polynesian-pop\/tiki-collecting\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/10367589_684477594933667_4223987563813437838_n.jpg?fit=647%2C960&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/10367589_684477594933667_4223987563813437838_n.jpg?fit=647%2C960&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/10367589_684477594933667_4223987563813437838_n.jpg?fit=647%2C960&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":221,"url":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/2007\/03\/01\/vintage-barware\/","url_meta":{"origin":539,"position":2},"title":"Vintage Barware","author":"Swanky","date":"March 1, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"My definition of \"collecting\" has changed over the years. I have been humbled by the vast and cumpulsive collections by people I have met or seen online. I do have a few \"collections,\" but, nothing that is going to blow anyone away. I suppose I collect vintage lamps, radios, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Cocktail Capers"","block_context":{"text":"Cocktail Capers","link":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/category\/cocktail-capers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":783,"url":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/2012\/08\/14\/dyi-ice-volcano-for-your-mini-mystery-bowl\/","url_meta":{"origin":539,"position":3},"title":"DYI Ice Volcano for your Mini Mystery Bowl","author":"Swanky","date":"August 14, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"If you don't yet own the Mini Mai-Kai Mystery Bowl, well, go get one HERE. Follow along regardless. To make the ice volcano that goes in the center of the Mystery Drink, here is my plan. If you have your own, great! This is how I tackled it. First you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Cocktail Capers"","block_context":{"text":"Cocktail Capers","link":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/category\/cocktail-capers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/IMG_2251-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":851,"url":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/2013\/02\/21\/mai-kai-reunion-2013-and-history-presentation\/","url_meta":{"origin":539,"position":4},"title":"Mai-Kai Reunion 2013 and History Presentation","author":"Swanky","date":"February 21, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Mai-Kai: History, Mystery and Adventure \u00a0In 1933, Don Beach\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s place was one of many thousands of bars that opened the day after Prohibition ended. No one knew then that his bar would invent a whole new genre and be copied across the globe for the next 30+ years. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Don\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Architecture"","block_context":{"text":"Architecture","link":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/category\/retro-goodies\/architecture-retro-goodies-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mai_Kai","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Mai_Kai.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":542,"url":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/2010\/11\/29\/mai-kai-derby-daiquiri-and-mariano-licudine\/","url_meta":{"origin":539,"position":5},"title":"Mai-Kai Derby Daiquiri and Mariano Licudine","author":"Swanky","date":"November 29, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"This image is from the June 1959 issue of Esquire magazine. It says: \"The fabulous mixologist Mariano Licudine of the famed Mai-Kai Restaurant in Florida creates new ways with rum in his Derby Daiquiri. The secret: one ounce of fresh orange juice, one half ounce of fresh lime juice, one\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "\"Tiki\" Collecting"","block_context":{"text":"\"Tiki\" Collecting","link":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/category\/polynesian-pop\/tiki-collecting\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/02\/tderby2-416x500.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/539","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=539"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/539\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1836,"href":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/539\/revisions\/1836"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swankpad.org\/blather\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}