Size matters. It’s true. The best spirits and cocktails don’t call for teeny ice cubes, but a big block of ice carved down to size. Large cubes offer less dilution than smaller ones (think back to year three science class to work out why) but if you want to carve your own, extreme care must be taken at all times.
In practical terms, this involves getting out your saw and pretending you’re on a lake in Lapland ready to go ice fishing, while adhering to some golden rules. Firstly, a small saw or bread knife will do just fine to carve the ice; just make sure the surface is stable and your block of ice has had ten minutes out of the freezer to temper. The ice needs to be crystal clear on all sides before you begin chipping away (the outer layer melts making carving easier). Start by sawing a line on one side of the block, while holding the other side with a cloth or ice pick. A couple of small taps with a hammer will allow the ice to split all the way through. Repeat until you get the required size, et voilà!