Book Review: The Ice Book: Cool Cubes, Clear Spheres, and Other Chill Cocktail Crafts

By Rob Theakston | June 10, 2023 |

Switching from 2022’s remarkable volume on doctors and distillation, Camper English sets his sites on writing the ultimate book about one of his passions: ice. Readers of his long-running site Alcademics know this to be one of his biggest areas of study, and The Ice Book takes some of the ideas found in some of his articles and digests them into an accessible, enjoyable 150+ page book.

It’s filled with techniques from beginner to advanced and delivered via beautiful photography and styling (courtesy of Allison Webber and Nan Allison, respectively) to help visualize the ice-making process. In terms of style there is a wide range of ground travelled in a short time, from the traditional to the esoteric, with some delightful recipes to go along with as you master the craft. Results varied on my end, from success in embedding cucumber slices and cherries into cubes, to the less-than-successful attempt at a gin and tonic with color-changing ice. I chalk that up to user error more than anything, though.

The hallmark of English’s books is his ability to make dense subjects approachable and accessible without careening too hard into academic or jargon-laden territories. This book is no exception. If you’re looking to take cocktail aesthetics and accents up level or four, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better book about ice than this.

A- / $17 / [BUY IT NOW FROM AMAZON]