Food and Whining - A modest outlet for a mediocrity-weary diner.

“Surprisingly, though, taste is not the only consideration. Presentation is the most important thing - garnish, colour, the glass. If the drink pleases the eye, the customer's mouth will start to water. Aroma is the next thing, then taste. We apply these criteria when judging a new cocktail in a competition.” ~ Peter Dolelli, The Savoy Cocktail Book In every high-end bar (and even some of the lower ones), there is one ingredient common to every cocktail they make, an ingredient so subtle, it's downright transparent (or, at least, it should be). Depending on the device that made it, ice can be cloudy with an increasingly dense galaxy of bubbles towards the center, or it can be clear as glass. Achieving that distinction is no simple feat. (More on that in a minute.) First, let's talk about how ice got in cocktails in the first place. The origins of ice in drinks are fairly simple and understandable. Someone discovered that in warmer weather, people preferred (but needed t...