📰 The Wolfsden Dispatch- Issue #6

☀️🍍🍹🍸🧊🍷🧊🥃 4 Refreshing Summer Cocktails & The Clear Ice Advantage

Author

Treewolf West
July 29, 2025

Ice is often overlooked and underrated—but it’s one of the most critical ingredients in any good drink. In this issue, we break down the science and history behind clear ice, why it matters, and how it transforms the cocktail experience. Alongside three classic summer recipes, one Wolfsden Signature Cocktail, and a zero-proof option, we’re focusing on the one element that unites them all: clean, cold structure in a glass. Clarity isn’t just aesthetic—it’s chemistry.

🧊 The Clear Ice Advantage

Before refrigeration, ice harvesting was a booming global industry that shaped trade, science, and daily life. Workers cut massive blocks of dense, crystal-clear ice from frozen lakes and rivers—usually in winter’s deepest freeze when slow, directional freezing pushed out air bubbles, leaving behind glass-like clarity. These pristine blocks were prized for their purity and longevity, stored in sawdust-insulated icehouses and shipped as far as the Caribbean, India, and Brazil. In the mid-1800s, Boston’s “Ice King” Frederic Tudor made a fortune exporting New England ice across the globe, transforming frozen water into a luxury commodity. The clearest ice came from calm, deep lakes where impurities settled and freezing was gradual—exactly the same principle now mimicked by modern directional freezing techniques in cocktail culture.

Fast forward to today, and bar owners and tenders around the world still prize clear ice not just for its aesthetic beauty, but for its performance. Clear ice melts more slowly, dilutes more predictably, and lets the color and clarity of your cocktail shine through without the cloudiness caused by frozen, trapped air molecules.

The breakthrough method behind modern clear ice production at home is directional freezing. Instead of freezing water from all sides—trapping bubbles as it goes—this method freezes from the top down (or one direction only), pushing the air and minerals to the bottom, leaving a crystal-clear block above. The result? Bar-quality ice, right from your freezer.

Here at The Wolfsden, we use clear cubes from The Salty Squid—a small, veteran-owned artisan brand who crafts professional-grade ice molds. Their trays produce crystal 2 inch blocks perfect for presentation in the prettiest of cocktails and mocktails.

🧊 Salty Squid Clear Ice Molds are simple to use, and can produce large, crystal-clear ice cubes for your most refined cocktails, when used correctly. If you use our affiliate link to purchase the molds, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. That support helps keep The Wolfsden running, and fuels future content in both our YouTube channel and our free Dispatch newsletter.

At The Wolfsden, we use a small open-top cooler to make clear ice using the directional freezing method. (1) The cooler goes straight into the freezer, lid off, so the ice freezes from the top down. This forms a dense, crystal-clear cap at the surface. Some folks stick with tap water, but we prefer filtered, spring water for a cleaner look and taste. (2) Once frozen solid. (24-36 hours), we lift the block out and flip it over. You’ll notice the bottom layer is cloudier—trapped air from the freezing process. (3) We trim that base off with a sturdy blade. But don’t toss it as some do—those “cloudy” chunks are perfect for cracked ice, or for mixing and shaking. (4) From the clear portion, we carve thick cubes and drop one into a rocks glass with a bright lemon twist. For spirit-forward builds and clean presentations, nothing beats a solid block of clear ice. At the Den, clear ice for the glass, cloudy ice for the tin. Nothing wasted.

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🐺 1. Signature Cocktail: The Summer Ember

Ingredients

  • Aged rum (such as Bacardi Ocho or Bacardi Gold)

  • Fresh lemon juice

  • Honey syrup (2:1)

  • Peach liqueur

  • Angostura bitters

  • Clear ice cube or spear

Method:


Shake rum, lemon juice, honey syrup, and peach liqueur with ice until well chilled. Strain into a chilled rocks glass over a clear ice cube. Add 2 dashes of Angostura bitters on top. Garnish with a citrus twist or fresh peach slice.

🍋🌿 2. Classic Mojito

Ingredients

  • White rum (such as Bacardi Superior)

  • Fresh lime juice

  • Simple syrup (1:1, white sugar)

  • Fresh mint leaves (6–8)

  • Club soda

  • Clear ice cubes or cracked/crushed ice

Method:


Add lime juice, simple syrup, and mint leaves to a highball glass. Gently press the mint—don’t muddle. Add rum, fill halfway with crushed ice, and stir. Top with club soda and more crushed ice. Garnish with fresh mint and a lime wheel.

🍇🍓🌼 3. Elderflower Sangria (Wolfsden Summer Edition)

Ingredients:

  • Dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc or Albariño)

  • Elderflower liqueur (like St-Germain)

  • Fresh orange juice

  • Turbinado simple syrup (2:1 ratio)

  • Club soda

  • Fresh strawberries, sliced

  • Orange rounds

  • Red Grapes

  • Lemon wheels

  • Lime wheels

  • Green apple, thinly sliced

  • Fresh mint leaves

  • Optional: edible flowers for garnish

Method:


In a large pitcher, combine the wine, elderflower liqueur, orange juice, and turbinado syrup.
Add all fruit and mint, stir gently, and refrigerate for 2–3 hours.
Just before serving, add club soda and stir lightly.
Serve over ice in stemless wine glasses, garnished with mint and flowers.

🍊🍸4. Aperol Spritz

Ingredients:

  • 3 oz Prosecco

  • 2 oz Aperol

  • 1 oz soda water

  • Garnish: Orange slice or twist

  • Ice: Large clear cubes (or one clear spear in a balloon glass)

Method:

  1. Fill a large wine glass with clear ice.

  2. Pour in the Prosecco, followed by Aperol.

  3. Top with soda water.

  4. Gently stir once or twice to integrate without flattening.

  5. Garnish with an orange slice resting just above the ice.

🐺🧊🍒 Zero-Proof Bonus: The Scarlet Cub

 A stunning non-alcoholic option with full-flavor complexity.

(Wolfsden Signature NA)

Ingredients:

  • Housemade grenadine (POM, turbinado, orange blossom, rose water)

  • Fresh lime juice

  • Dash of orgeat

  • Club soda or Sprite/ 7-up

  • Garnish: Lime wheel or cherry

  • Ice: Clear cubes

Method:

Build directly in a chilled highball glass over clear ice.
Add grenadine, lime juice, and orgeat.
Top with club soda, or Sprite/ 7-up.
Gently stir to combine without losing carbonation.
Garnish with a fresh lime wheel or a real maraschino cherry.

This Week’s Shoutout: George Eldi of Wines by Nature

This week, The Wolfsden Dispatch is proud to spotlight George R. Eldi, owner of Wines by Nature in Wading River, New York. Specializing in sustainably farmed, small-estate wines and quality craft spirits from around the world, George curates a shop for those who value integrity, taste, and discovery.

A former college mate, fraternity brother, and longtime friend of Treewolf West, George has built a reputation in Suffolk County for championing independent producers and educating customers with passion and precision. Whether you’re hunting for a rare bottle or learning to pair wine with your favorite dishes, Wines by Nature is a destination worth the trip.

Please note: Value is a main concern for all of the shoppers out there, and you will find amazing finds — wines are as low as $7.99!

📍 5768 Route 25A, Suite I, Wading River, NY
🌐 winesbynatureny.square.site
📸 @wines_by_nature | Facebook
📞 (631) 886-2800

🤝 The Wolfsden and Wines by Nature are proud to be collaborating in future editions of the Dispatch—highlighting seasonal pairings, curated spirits, and stories that celebrate craft from both bottle and glass. The Den is also announcing a new pillar of the channel titled Treewolf on the Trail, where he will be visiting various stores, distilleries, restaurants, bars, and other food and beverage establishments to film Wolfsden episodes on location. Keep watch for the Wolfsden coming to Wines by Nature for a true cocktail and wine educational session!

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Thanks for stepping into the craft. —Treewolf West

Please enjoy… and if you drink, drink responsibly.