)nly in Japan, where something as mundane as making tea can be elevated to an elaborate ritual, would bartenders spend years of apprenticeship carving ice cubes into ice spheres. It’s not a particularly difficult skill to master, but you may well be wondering why anyone would bother. Well, spheres look great, for starters, but it’s also true that they have less surface area than cubes, so they melt more slowly, keeping your drink from premature dilution. Now you can wow your guests without risking frostbite. Taisin, a Japanese company (of course), makes a device that uses heat and gravity to convert an ice cube into a perfect orb (japantrendshop.com; from $170). But if you don’t mind a little wabi (imperfection), The Museum of Modern Art (momastore.org) sells an ice mold that works surprisingly well (see photo above). And it’s only $16. That’s how much two Gläce Luxury Ice spheres (glace-ice.com) will set you back, shipping not included.
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