What the heck is Ghost Ice? You might have seen it included in cocktail descriptions. There are a couple of ways to answer this question: 1) It’s completely clear ice, and 2) “Ghost Ice” is a brand of ice trays and system that can be used to make completely clear ice cubes.
Pictured above is one of three Old Fashioneds. We all agreed it was just about the best Old Fashioned we’d had. It was described on the menu as made with Ghost Ice. Notice you can’t see the large, rectangular cube through the glass, under the surface.
How Ghost Ice and bars with “ice programs” do it and how you can do it at home. The clear ice is based on “directional freezing”, meaning that the water is forced to freeze in one direction only – downward, like the way a lake freezes from the top down. As the water freezes, impurities are pushed downward and if timed correctly, you end up with crystal clear ice.
If you’re into it and want to make your own, you CAN make crystal clear ice at home with specialiced Ice Molds that force directional freezing. This article, How to Make Clear Ice at Home . . ., explores whether you need to boil water, use distilled water, or are okay with plain old tap water. The author also tested various clear ice tray systems in depth and has recommendations.
