Latest entry into the great non-ice drink-chilling race
Recent years have seen drink chillers ranging from sea stones and other rocks to little metal cubes and ice spheres; now we have an entry that looks to roll in a new direction.
The election may be over, but that doesn't have to mean the end of competition. In fact, in at least one area of kitchen concerns, there exists a race that is still heating up. Or in this case, chilling down.
Perhaps it's seemed like there has recently been an influx of non-water ice drink chillers. It has not been your imagination. Water ice may still be the most effective chiller, but the fact that it dilutes as it chills is, for many, is an issue. The recent past has seen an emerging trend in that now drinking chillers can come in all shapes and forms. They are available as stainless steel cubes, cut sea stones, or for the more traditionally minded as regular water ice chillers -- albeit in sphere form. And then there is the latest entry into the race: the Soireehome Tilt Beverage Chilling Sphere ($17.99).
Given the opportunity to take the drink chillers for a test-drive, I popped a couple of the spheres into the freezer to give them a good chill. As a side effect of reading too much Hunter S. Thompson, Election Day seemed like the perfect opportunity to try the drink accessories. Oh, the things I do for this blog.
After choosing an appropriate libation and settling in to watch the returns, it quickly became apparent where the name of the drink chillers came from. The Tilt is constructed of sealed stainless steel and has a liquid center; when tilted back in the glass, the off-balance sphere tries to rotate the other direction. Very cool. Obviously, if tilted too far, the spheres will roll out, but for normal sipping leverage, this new candidate plays it safe. It just looks like you'll go over the edge knocking back of chilled glass of whiskey with a stainless steel contrivance rolling around inside; reality, as always, is different.
For those who prefer precise control over their chilling choices, the Tilt comes with a retrieving rod (which conveniently doubles as a swizzle stick) that hooks into a hinged dimple to pluck the sphere out of the drink with. Talk about embracing the issues; this little drink accessory chills beverages without watering them down and allows for them to be overloaded (or not) with garnishes. Something for everybody. And with a stainless steel construction, it will be sure to last longer than four years.