If our slideshow of haute ice cubes or the subsequent Times piece about ice-ficionados didn’t quench your thirst, Imbibe has over 2,000 words about the history and use of ice in cocktail dens. What’s the next trend in the battle against dilution? At Apothéke, Albert Trummer demanded we gulp down a drink in two sips. But things haven’t gone as far here as they have in Tokyo, where bartenders double as swordsmen: “A large block of ice was brought out from a back room, and with a few precise maneuvers with a sword, he sliced flawless two-inch cubes from the block. ‘It fit perfectly in the glass, and they did that for each glass of whisky.’” Whoa! And here we thought Lego and Tetris ice cubes were the height of cool.

Rocking Out [Imbibe via The Grinder]
Related: Ice, Ice Baby: Gleaming the City's Best Cubes