As a professional woodworker, I'm a bit jealous of this idea ! Your materials come from a hose, not huge planks. What you make will disappear and your customer will be back next day, not in 10-20 years. I'd also trade wood dust to cold environment. This is brilliant !

I cant believe i just watched a 14 minute video on ice Absolutely incredible

I have never given ice this much thought before. Temper it so it doesn’t crack, cloudy vs clear, oxygen bubbles…. these people really know their craft and it’s inspiring! They seem to really love and take pride in what they do!

“Harvesting our ice” 😂

For me, Richard is the ultimate definition of an entrepreneur. He's always talking about the end product, the best possible cocktail for the customer to enjoy. I very much respect him and his whole attitude.

Damn this guy really worked in some of the best bars of the cocktail Renaissance and then turned around and started a business on the most universal ingredient of a bar. I'd loved to meet him some day

My first real cocktail experience was with an old fashioned at Dutch Kills. This was about 10 years ago and I still remember my bartender’s name (Abraham), I still remember the beautiful mahogany booths leading into the back bar, and I still remember seeing the bartenders working with the tempered ice and being blown away by how meticulous they were with every step of the process. Never even thought of where that ice might have actually come from, so cool to see the origin story of that ice.

I love your diligence as well as the pride you exhibit in you crystal clear ice. You care and it shows in your cocktail delivery.

I thought it was silly at first, but I couldn't stop watching, I ended up admiring this man and his craftsmanship. Great work

I didn't care about cocktails but I have suddenly gained a huge respect for these artists for their dedication and excellence

Great to see someone paying attention to detail and the quality of their product and not just their bottom line

I love this approach to no waste. Real quality product. The restaurant I work at has their logo engraved into the ice.

For anyone wondering, a 2'' cube does cost $0.70 a piece (sold in a 50-pack), a sphere costs $4 (prices from 2013).

What a guy and he pays respect to those who helped him along the way!

This man would be successful at anything he wants. Applying the principle of "perfection" is an admirable trait.

What an amazing find. So much respect for this guy.

Humans are so funny. "I couldn't possibly drink this--the ice is cloudy!"

I started making my own clear ice at home about a year ago for my home bar and it absolutely makes a difference. I've almost become a snob about friggin ice as crazy as that sounds.

This is the BEST TIME to be alive. Witnessing all this. What a treat.

Richard is absolutely amazing! Thank you for sharing this. 🙌🙌🙌

Also massive props to those guys for working entire shifts in sub-zero freezers- working in a grocery store I can attest that no matter how well you think you handle the cold, you try doing any manual labor in there and you just want to die. Couldn't imagine going all day in there.

So much respect that he calls his employees by their names. I've seen so many of these wherw they say "this worker". Respect

What an amazing find. So much respect for this guy.. We appreciate Eater for their hard work and consistency. God bless them..

One of the best drinks I've had in years was at Fresh Kills in Williamsburg which I just learned is owned by Richard and a couple partners! It was served over crushed ice, so unfortunately I didnt get the chance to admire this handiwork, but the cocktail was absolutely excellent. The bar's vibe was amazing, it was hip and cool without being clubby or overly romantic. You could easily stop in for a drink and enjoy yourself, or bring a couple friends, or bring a date. The only pretense was an appreciation of good drinks.

There is something very satisfying about watching ice being carved up. Also the cocktails being made with the finished product. And a great guy. Thanks for making this.

Never had a cocktail a day in my life…still watched this video all the way through. Nothing like watching someone who is not only good at what they do but also loves what they do.

A bar I went to served drinks in small cups made from crystal clear ice. Was fantastic!

Fascinating. I remember visiting Kyoto in Japan, and discovering the "whisky bar" in the hotel we stayed at. We popped in during the afternoon to see two young chaps chipping away and making what looked like tennis ball-sized ice balls. Incredibly labour intensive, but you know the Japanese attention to detail. The drill press looks easier.

Dude this is the best thing I’ve seen all week. Mad props to this dude and his crew. Different form of art and I love it!

He's a craftsman. He clearly cares about giving the best cocktail experience for customers. down to the ice. If I would want a drink, I'd go visit this man. Would definitely be worth it

This guy deserves Respect for what he has accomplished.

Shows how much Care something as Humble as Ice is given.

It's something about seeing someone, anyone passionate about what they're doing. It truly makes a world of difference.

Very interesting video. amazing how even something as humble as ice has been turned into a fancy product.

This is crazy how they are able to preserve it all the way into the bars. The slightest melting during the shipping process = all cubes are now 1 giant cube

I don't drink cocktails,nor working as bartender,but every video that eater uploaded,never disappoint me.great job 👍

WOW, that was GENIUS! It's so cool to see that there is ART IN EVERYTHING, if one cares to do things to the utmost.

You are the definition of what keeps New York interesting!

One of the best videos on KZfaq that I have watched until today 🙂

when he sticks his hand in to show the ice clarity, I was really impressed

In culinary school i learned the art of ice sculpture. The 300 lb clinebell blocks have to be tempered before carving. When working outside of a walk-in refrigerated room, ice needs to be stored in the shade at room temperature for about an hour. The block will be frosted when exposed to room temperature and you wait till block becomes crystal clear. Test with a razor sharp chisel by pushing blade and if ice cuts effortlessly like wax it's ready to carve. Otherwise if ice is not tempered it could potentially shatter with the vibration of a chainsaw. To make a carving jig or template measure out the dimensions of long side of block onto white butcher paper. Draw the design you want then cut out the isolated outline of design and apply the paper template onto wet ice surface like a decal. Use an ice pick to scratch the outline of design them remove paper. Now your ready to use a chain saw to cut away the bulk pieces. Make sure to scratch lines onto the areas to be removed just as you do in carpentry. Electric chainsaws (I learned with a corded chainsaw before lithium ion batteries) are the best less noise, no exhaust fumes etc. Have a set of razor sharp wood chisels a chocolate/ice chipper and a cannister butane torch (Iwatani) for smoothing chisel surface when finished. Liquor luges can be made using cylinder drill bits with extention shaft. Buy copper tubing and cut teeth into one end with Dremel tool and attach other end to wood dowel to electric drill. Make sure for your sculpture has a drain system to account for thawing. You can make one cutting a Rubbermaid tall square sided trash basket down the side to get two equal halves and bolt together with silicone caulking.

This is very cool. The explanation behind why you should have a clear ice is fascinating

Living in Alaska, I enjoy going to a glacier and grabbing some ice that's thousands of years old for my drinks. Helps me appreciate things.

These guys had my mouth watering, and I don't do cocktails, but most if those end product had time care and attention to detail wow

Totally appreciate the hard work and passion of creating a superior cocktail.

This was amazing!! Thanks so much for making this video.

Fascinating to watch this as a total nerd who've never ordered any cocktail in a bar and generally doesn't drink alcohol (except when I'm "forced" on workplace gatherings)

This is amazing not just a supplier but also a consumer

Larger ice in the cup, less content in the drink. Totally worth the price for the bars.

6:13 the little trap door mechanism for dropping down the ice spheres is so simple and elegant at the same time.

This is a really cool job and what a great way to set a standard and be a part of that process that makes a drink really come together. I like that a lot.

I like this guy's chill attitude. I think he has a cool job.

Fascinating, had no idea about fancy ice production. Thank you for posting.

Its so pure and mesmerising.

A family member came home with a bunch of super solid ice from Antarctica a few years back! It made all sorts of sounds in our drinks as it first went in haha

We appreciate Eater for their hard work and consistency. God bless them.

So much effort for something ill finish in less than a minute, I love it😎

Ive been able to achieve clear ice in very limited quantities with those travel coffee mugs. I love the way it looks, and stays longer. The clear ice that is

Awesome to see more bar content on here!

Man....NYC Italians are just on another level, they have standards no other tribe, not even Germans can touch, I am just in awe of this TECHNICALITY to quality, he's a mechanic.

I love people who take a seemingly mundane and everyday thing and turn it into art

Thank you, KZfaq recommendations, for showing me this Absolutely Gem of a video. 👍

I never knew this much went into a good cocktail, this is incredible a true master of his craft

This dude is making $3M+++ per year selling frozen water and I LOVE IT!!! Keep up your grind!

Very interesting. Never thought making ice could become an art form 👍🏻

These cubes are beautifully clear but so big.I've had drinks with larger spheres and blocks but never that size-they'd fill the whole glass before putting in any drink.

I business I would have never imagined existed, but they've been around for a decade. Pretty cool, love this city.

Wow, such beauty and craftsmanship! Regards from Baltimore.

Very enjoyable video. Thank you!

Anyone that is a perfectionist, gets my respect.

I love Eater for the crystal clear videos...

I love the science and was somewhat a cocktail nerd. But something hit me when seeing the huge array and creativity in cocktails... It's way more an art than anything. There is so much that's arbitrary and imprecise and improvised. And there is beauty in that was well. I appreciate this whole thing with perfect ice, ultimately, why do it? Well, bc people pay for that percent of perfection. Fun to think about.

This is so zen, love the obsession

I didn't even know there was a such thing as cocktail ice, I love ice I eat a lot it lol & I loved learning about it. Great video.

Bro saw a marketing opportunity and nailed it.

This is the coolest video i've seen in a long time.

So intresting and watched till the last second . Great work

This is why at the right spot I don’t mind spending $20+ on a cocktail. Artists are involved in every step of the process.

I like how he turned into Rico suave at end

I was surprised the large plates did not fuse together when he stacked them on the table. Usually ice would fuse together, even at sub-zero temperatures, due to pressure.

Those spheres look so cool!

Such a fascinating business. How do you even get started with an idea like this!? Super inspiring

This is great idea. Beautiful and clean job. Congratulations on your success!!

Its very interesting how much detail goes into making such a simple produkt On the basis its Freeze water Cut water into cube shape Deliver it. But yet each step has lots of thought and precision added to it. Resulting in this high quality produkt of frozen water

I am just a pipe welder, but I am a pipe welder for a major refrigeration company. I can say with all honesty that it takes a great deal of energy, electrical power, to chill water. Water is very dense, so it takes a lot of negative BTU's to bring it from 55 degrees of cold tap water, down to below 32 degrees. So, if you are ever in a bar that sells ice of this quality, pre-chilled glasses etc, and then you see the price the business is charging for their drinks ...they have to, based on their refrigeration bill alone.

Been making my own clear ice for awhile now as a former bartender. Will have to try the sphere with my drill press. Thanks!

New York City tap water comes from a reservoir that I used to swim in called the West Branch truly some of the cleanest water

I love how the tap water rransforms in to a beautiful crystal clear ice bars which cools my glass of brandy and heart

I used to work for these guys, Richie you are the man!

what a legend. Pretty sure I had some of his ice on a few occasions.

My mind is blown. What a guy!

excellent piece. Cheers!

I’m curious what he uses to lubricate the chain on the saw at the beginning . It looks kind of like a chainsaw.

So these are the guys responsible for my cocktails lasting 2 sips

Damn. It's so inspiring to see a passionate artist and businessman who cares so much about his craft. Incredible.

I'm pretty sure this guy has made me an old fashioned before... Fantastic video

When he first mentioned ice harvesting, I was reminded of the Japanese natural ice harvesting. Then going into the video and he said he learned about ice from the Japanese next door, I was like I knew it, the Japanese 😆

What is the craziest part for me was the transformation from him being in the ice box working to him behind the counter. He looked like a blue collar worker but complete transformation which I wasn't expecting.

My throats is constantly gulping when the bartender is presenting that cocktail 😅

I wanted to see how he added a flower or anything inside that ice, since the original blocks were huge. This would be interesting to know and show.