Leslie Kirchhoff - Disco Cube Cocktails: 100+ innovative recipes for artful ice and drinks

Dedicated to my mom and dad, for always encouraging me to pursue my passions, even when theyre made of ice.

And of course, to Drewnone of this would exist without you.

Copyright 2020 by Leslie Kirchhoff.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Names: Kirchhoff, Leslie, author.
Title: Disco cube cocktails : 100+ innovative recipes for artful ice and drinks / Leslie Kirchhoff.
Description: San Francisco : Chronicle Books, [2020]
Identifiers: LCCN 2019010027 |
ISBN 9781452180816 (hardcover : alk. paper);
ISBN 9781452181639 (epub, mobi)
Subjects: LCSH: Cocktails. | Ice.
Classification: LCC TX951 .K435 2020 | DDC 641.87/4dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019010027

Design by Vanessa Dina.
Typesetting by Frank Brayton.

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You know the legendary tale of Bianca Jagger riding a white horse into Studio 54? After reading this book, that can be you! Except youre the horse. The Disco Cubes are obviously Bianca Jagger, soon to be remembered forever by your guests as the most thrilling element of the eveningall thanks to you, the horse. Now that were on the same mental page as a strong white stallion in a nightclub, lets talk icethe real star of this show.

The craft cocktail movement has been in full swing for more than a decade now, but wheres the awe-inspiring ice? If I had to guess, I would say the most impressive cube youve ever seen in real life was a big, clear, hand-cut rock served in a Negroni or an Old-Fashioned. A beautiful sight, of course, but truly just the tip of the iceberg (sorry for that).

In this book, youll find everything you need to know to make clear ice, flavored ice, ice that transforms a drink, ice that creates the drink, ice for punch, ice with elements preserved inside, and, oh yesdisco. The magical elixir of beat-driven dance music weaves in and out through playlists and stories of the iconic era that changed music and culture forever, and will leave you craving a good time and a cold drink.

Thats what Disco Cube Cocktails is all aboutstepping into the Disco Dream World and creating what I like to call instant nostalgiaa visceral state of being that you wish would never end, where all your senses are perfectly stimulated and life is as pleasant as possible.

This is not exactly your run-of-the-mill cocktail book. Think of it as a physical extension of the conceptual project of Disco Cubes, which began years ago in my tiny kitchen in New York. Determined to suspend something in the middle of a clear ice cube, I spent countless hours experimenting and researching. I realized that I had found a niche that hadnt yet been fully explored or realized in an artistic way.

The passion grew tenfold when I finally began shooting and filming my creations. The humble Disco Cube became the star of my daydreams, hailing from an alternate universe of mad-scientist-laboratory meets epic-seventies-dance-party, all through an amber-tinted lens. I made a resin Disco Cube replica and brought it along on my travels, placing it in warm-toned corners or popping it in a glass during a party, shooting it everywhere I wentmy little resin muse.

I still cant quite exactly pinpoint what sparked my fascination with ice, but I have narrowed it down to a few possibilities:

1. Seeing fish frozen in the clear ice of Wisconsin lakes
2. The coffee ice cubes at Indochine in New York City
3. The caviar ice block at Boom Boom Room in New York City