Japanese company exports premium ice for cocktail bars — The Japan Times

In Kanazawa, Japan, artisans at Kuramoto Ice cut and shape large blocks of clear ice for cocktail bars in countries around the world. The company from Ishikawa Prefecture, which has been operating for more than a century, has exported its products since 2019, and its total sales have more than doubled since then, The Japan Times reports.

Slow freezing

Manufacturers freeze the water for 48–72 hours, while household ice usually takes several hours and industrial ice makers take around 30 minutes. As it freezes, impurities move toward the center of the block. They are removed together with the water and replaced with fresh water, while continuous stirring helps eliminate air bubbles.

The result is completely clear ice, called junpyo in Japanese. Fifth-generation company head Kazuhiko Kuramoto said the water is frozen slowly and kept in motion. At the facility, ice blocks are made into spheres, cubes and rectangular bars with cut corners, which can precisely match the shape of a particular glass. Before shipment, the products are stored at minus 10 degrees Celsius.

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Demand from overseas bars

Bars outside Japan, including in the United States and Australia, can pay up to 200 yen, or about $1.25, for a single cube. Singapore bar Native, which made this year's Asia’s 50 Best Bars list, imports around 900 kilograms of ice from Kuramoto each year. Co-owner Yong Wei said local ice is more economical, but the Japanese product is clearer, denser and melts more slowly.

The report notes that there is little scientific evidence that such ice melts more slowly. At the same time, Japanese bartenders consider working with ice one of the key professional skills. Shingo Miyachi, head bartender at a Hilton hotel near Tokyo, said ice significantly affects the taste of a cocktail, including the aftertaste after a sip.