Hubbard Highlights Advantages Of Different Ices
When the twentieth century dawned ice was still considered a novelty in the summer. Drinks were mostly cooled, if at all, by ice brought in from the Arctic in purpose-built ships, stored in city ice houses and delivered to caterers by horse-drawn cart alongside muffin trays and milk drays. It didn't matter which type of ice; you were lucky (or rich) to get any.
A hundred summers on and we are spoiled for choice in ice. In 2002 an increasingly sophisticated drinking culture is demanding great variety in ice, and caterers and licensees have a headache just keeping up with it all. Hubbard Ice Systems says some establishments are installing three separate ice machines, or even more - with different ice for different purposes. And these machines need to be large enough to cope with the summer surge in demand. You can occasionally run out of one brand or another of spirits, say, and customers will mostly forgive you, but you can't afford to run out of ice on a hot summer night.
Hubbard Ice Systems offers eight different styles of ice from its Scotsman range of ice machines. Each type of ice has its own chilling characteristics and appearance to suit the particular use.
For example, large theme bar/restaurants often have three ice machines, each producing ice for different tasks. These could be a machine producing traditional square 'dice' cubes, ideal for a variety of uses, from chilling drinks to cooling bottles in wine buckets; a flaked ice machine, for cocktails and food display; and a Supercube ice machine, for elegant appearance when serving drinks (such as gin & tonic) 'on the rocks'.
DICE (SQUARE) AND CONTOUR (PILLOW-SHAPED) ICE
Summer parties see a surge in demand for chilled wines, and a matching need for ice to chill them fast. Cold cabinets can't chill wine at the table! Bars and restaurants find it convenient to have on hand either square 'dice' cubes or the contour 'pillow-shaped' cubes.
Both are produced by high-output modular units and are ideal for jobs such as filling wine buckets and beer bottle dumps, as well as for chilling drinks 'in the glass'.
Scotsman's 'Contour' ice cubes have a pillow shape with angular diamond edges that sparkle effectively in light and fill a glass well. As well as looking good, it's perfect for fancy effects and displays and crushes easily. It's also ideal for anyone using a soft drinks dispenser, in bars or fast food outlets, because Contour's gentle curves cushion the liquid as it pours in, minimising 'splash-back'.
ICE FLAKERS
Cocktail bars and restaurants that need larger amounts of flaked ice will normally choose a dedicated Scotsman AF flaked ice maker. Fit a bar or restaurant with a Scotsman AF machine and flaked ice is convenient, always available and always versatile. In cocktails, such as juleps and frozen daiquiris, it mixes quickly and well, while on hot days it makes a wonderful bed for chilled food displays such as salads and seafood.
SUPERCUBES
The most famous ice for chilling drinks worldwide is the 'Supercube' from Hubbard's Scotsman ACM range. Familiar to bar staff for over 40 years, its instantly recognisable thimble shape and crystal clarity gives it great looks, coupled with a slow melting that makes it a superb ice for a hot summer day.
ICE CRUSHERS
Ice crushers are perfect for smaller operations where a dedicated flaked ice machine might not suitable because of space, plumbing restrictions or budget. For example, a small cocktail bar might have a Scotsman Dice machine alongside an ice-crusher such as the Scotsman CF1, for maximum versatility. They can use cubes for drinks and crushed ice for cocktails and food presentation.
SPECIALIST ICE
The Scotsman range also includes other specialist ice forms, including nugget ice, Cubelet ice, Superflake and scale ice. Each has its own specialist application, from fast food outlets to chilling food display counters.
