Let’s talk about artisanal ice (and how Yardbird does it right) —PHOTOS

W e’ve had artisanal breads and cheeses and coffees and charcuterie and pretty much whatever else the creative culinary types could come up with, so maybe it was inevitable that we’d have artisanal ice.

Yes, ice. An elaborate craft ice program has been introduced at Yardbird Southern Table &Bar at The Venetian, which opened Friday. But before you roll your eyes, you may be interested to know that it is, if you’ll excuse the pun, pretty cool.

“As a company, we always try to push ourselves, try to do things that haven’t been done,” said lead mixologist Rob Ortenzio, referring to Yardbird’s parent company, 50 Eggs Inc. “We like a challenge. Craft ice is something that makes a difference when it comes to craft cocktails.”

Yardbird gets its ice from Premium Ice, which makes 300-pound blocks in a Clinebell machine.

“During freezing, the water is agitated to create crystal-clear blocks,” Ortenzio said.

The blocks are cut into eighths, boxed up and delivered to Yardbird. And then the magic begins.

On a basic level, the 10-inch blocks are cut down into halves, then quarters and so on, to create specific shapes for the cocktails. Some become 2½-inch cubes, which, after they’re held a few hours, morph into the 2-inch cubes that are perfect for certain drinks. Others, called “long rocks,” are elongated rectangles, just right for slipping into a tall Collins glass.

The cutting process is a lot easier than it sounds. Using a special Japanese ice saw with large, jagged teeth, Ortenzio gradually saws back and forth, letting the tool sink deeper into the ice until eventually the block splits. As the primary blocks are reduced further, he switches to a smaller ice saw and then a multipronged ice pick.

One of the most interesting processes involves the creation of the 70 millimeter ice spheres used for the Yardbird Old Fashioned.

“They’re absolutely perfect for our rocks glass,” Ortenzio said.

To create a sphere, he cuts a rough block maybe 3½ inches across.

“Water is one of two liquids on earth that expand when frozen,” he said, “so it converts back to liquid when put under pressure.”

The pressure comes via a two-part device that wouldn’t look out of place in a tool-and-die shop. Ortenzio puts the cube between the two halves of the device and lets the very heavy top unit press down until the cube gradually becomes a sphere in a process that takes about 2 minutes, the molding done by the pressure and residual heat in the metal device. Literally before your eyes, the block has become a gleaming, crystal-clear sphere of ice.

And the ice excitement doesn’t stop there. Yardbird also makes several flavored ice cubes for specific drinks. Want a dirty martini? They freeze blue-cheese-stuffed olives in silicone ice-cube trays, then fill the cavities with olive brine. The cube melts until the drink is as dirty as the customer wants it.

For the beverage Yardbird calls the Porkchop, they create a garnish cube of fresh thyme in Dijon syrup. It becomes the top cube in a stack of cubes in a tall glass.

There’s also an off-the-menu drink, the YBG&T. No bottled tonic water here; Yardbird makes its own quinine syrup, which is both mixed into the drink and used to create special ice cubes. The topper is the customer’s choice of either a watermelon or cucumber cube, made with fresh strained juices.

Unlike the other specialty cocktails, which are illustrated in the menu by a sketch showing the drink and the ice, customers will have to know to ask for this one, Ortenzio said.

“It’s a little speakeasy-style,” he said. “I like having little ‘in-the-know’ kinds of things. It’s a nice surprise.”

And even if you’re not a drinker, you can partake of Yardbird’s craft ice, in the Arnold Palmer. The nonalcoholic beverage is finished with a long rectangle that’s half sweet tea, half lemonade, just like the drink, which means it doesn’t dilute it as it melts.

“I wanted to make sure the ice program was expanded beyond alcoholic drinks,” Ortenzio said.

They use some “regular” 1¼-inch ice cubes, made in a Kold-Draft machine, because of the volume required. The craft ice, he said, is broken down by barbacks, with bartenders adding the finishing touches.

The bartenders also wield retro soda pumps, old-school two-sided jiggers and other old-fashioned reminders of the art.

“We don’t have a (soda) gun in any of our properties,” Ortenzio said (50 Eggs has three other restaurants in the Miami area). “It’s 100 percent club service.”

It’s also in keeping with Yardbird’s overall design scheme, which runs heavily to accents such as rustic woods, brick walls, penny tile and hardwood floors, chicken-wire glass windows and jars of pickled produce. The craft-ice program, Ortenzio said, is the company’s stamp of uniqueness with a very elemental sector of the business.

“At the end of the day, we sell fried chicken, waffles and watermelon,” he said. “We try to do over-the-top, but simplicity is the goal.”

Contact reporter Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474.