Supper with Sylvia-Why Gourmet Ice Matters

 (Upbeat Music)



 Think ice is just frozen water? Think again, from samurai forged blades to the coolest cocktail cubes in the game. This episode of Supper with Sylvia makes one thing crystal clear, your drink deserves better ice. Meet the Chicago couple who turned a sweaty summer day into a seriously cool business. Then we sit down with a long time Chicago bartender from Minnesota ice, who breaks down why ice matters, which shapes pair best with which drinks and the cocktail trends heating up right now. This is Supper with Sylvia where who knew even ice has a story.



 Audrey Sullivan with Quari Ice, thank you so much for joining me. Tell everybody what is Quari Ice?

 When you think about Quari Ice, so Quari means ice in Japanese, we went to Japan to study the art of ice and Quari is designed to elevate any beverage. It's completely pure, slow melt ice for any drink at home, whether it's a cocktail or a mocktail or a kombucha or coffee for that.



 And that's interesting that you say that because when I think of your ice, I think of you a cocktail, but you're right, you can use it in so many other things. So tell me how this all got started. I understand 2015 was the year that you put it out to market. How did this come about?

 Yeah, so we're based here in Chicago,



 me and my partner, my husband, Neil, we were sailing at the time. We were both in corporate America and I had just learned how to sail and we started sailing on Lake Michigan and we were with some friends and drinking margaritas of all things and on a really hot day in Chicago and for people who are familiar with Chicago,



 it is muggy, it can get really hot in the summer and we're in the middle of Lake Michigan and all of our ice melted.



 Our margaritas were warm.



 Oh no. And we had no ice in the middle of the lake and I looked at my friends and my husband and I said, there has to be a better way. Like why has everything else been touched by innovation except ice? When you look at bottled water, we have 50 brands of bottled water to choose from, but when it comes to ice, we have bags and it melts fast and so that's really what started it.

 Yeah and I understand too that you were maybe enjoying your margarita and the ice had melted and it changed the flavor of your drink and that drove you crazy, right?

 Oh yeah, it did. And that's a great point because regular ice,



 it does, it changes the profile of whatever you're drinking. And that's one of the challenges we went out to solve with poorly ice. We really wanted to create clean, pure ice used with the same purification that bottled water goes through. So we use reverse osmosis purification and to really make sure that you can taste your drink and not the ice and it minimally dilutes it. So it doesn't water your drink down.

 Wow, so you're out on the lake, your margarita has gone bad. You come back and you think, I'm going to pursue this. So how the heck do you get started? Where did you even begin and how to end up in Japan?



 Oh my gosh, it was such a long journey. So we were, I'm from Cleveland, Ohio originally. We've been in Chicago over 10 years and we were on our way to Cleveland for Thanksgiving and we were watching Netflix, Mind of a Chef. And we saw this profile of Bar High Five, which is in Tokyo and was rated the number one bar in the world.



 And in this episode, Wayno Son, who is the owner and lead mixologist of Bar High Five in Tokyo, which is kind of like the gold coast of Tokyo in Ginza, and he was hand carving the most beautiful ice that I had ever seen in the world.



 And Mignal and I, my partner looked at each other and we said, the answer is in Japan.



 And so we booked our flights and the rest is history.

 Wow, and so there you learned about the art of ice because it truly is an art form. So kind of walk us through what makes your ice so incredible because for those who have not seen this ice, we are so lucky here in Chicago because I can buy it at Mariano's and so can you. She's gonna tell us about some other places, but it's those beautiful spheres and the globes, right? That are so clear and pure.



 And it all starts in the process of making that ice. So walk me through what that process is and how it is so beautifully clear, almost like looking through glass.

 Yeah, it's a labor of love. It really is.



 It starts with purification. So the same purification process that bottled water goes through, we use a reverse osmosis purification system. And so it goes through numerous layers of purification. And then it goes into what we call our ice block makers, which are stainless steel baths, like the size of a bathtub. And it takes three days to freeze a 300 pound block of ice because it's called directional freezing. The water moves as it freezes.



 And so what happens is it takes the purified water and takes all of the air bubbles out as it freezes. So it makes a really dense block of ice. And then we harvest that 300 pound block of ice and we cut it using the same steel used to forge samurai storage



 because that's where we received our technology from Japan. That's where we get our cutting technology. And we hand cut it so that it's precision cut and really seals in the density of the ice, which leaves you with a crystal clear and beautiful cube that melts slow.

 Wow, so what does the average block of ice, or maybe what does the average cube, how many days does it take to get that one cube I'm gonna put in my cocktail to perfection?

 From beginning until end, it takes three days.



 Three days, yeah.

 So three days to get this, you get back, you must be so excited. So you start cranking out this ice. What do you do with it once you've realized you've got a product that you think people are gonna want? Did you hit the restaurants first?

 Yeah, so we were connected with Gibson's group and Gibson's group was our first restaurant group. And so we ended up selling to the restaurants first. And so what's interesting though, is when someone comes to Dine at Gibson's at Tahlia or Lux Bar, they see this beautiful crystal clear cube.



 And I think customers, and myself included,



 when we see that beautiful cube in the glass, I don't think we realize the labor of love that really goes into it. And so we've set out on a mission to really educate customers on what is good ice? What is clean ice? Like what goes into it? And it's not just any ice, it's Quari ice. So yes, they were our first customers. Wow, so since then,

 how many restaurants are you at now?

 We're in over 300 restaurants in Illinois.



 Wow, that is amazing. Were people receptive? Because my question is, where were they getting ice before you guys started doing this?



 There are companies in town.



 So there's a few other companies in town that sell directly to restaurants, to hotels, to bars.



 There are like your traditional ice sculptors, for example.



 And so when we had founded Poerie, there were a couple other companies, I think one other company that was doing that, but not necessarily with the goal of going directly to consumers.

 And that's what you guys are doing now. So let's talk about that. You're in 300 restaurants, but now we as consumers can go to a few places to purchase it. So after you hit the restaurant scene, you're like, okay, we need to get direct to people's homes. So what did you do and where did you end up with that?



 Yeah, so when we think about the future of Poerie ice, we wanna make it really easy to get our ice from the grocery store to your home. And we consulted, actually my partner consulted a Nassau engineer on our packaging because we wanted to make sure, just like when you buy ice cream or popsicles, that when you pick up a box of Poerie ice, you can take it home and it doesn't melt because it's still ice, it's going to melt eventually, but it's ice, so it does melt.



 When we decided to go into grocery stores, so for example, Binny's was our first retailer,



 we wanted to make sure that customers also knew this was available. So when we launched in Binny's, we had a reefer truck, we bought a reefer truck, I was driving around the reefer truck, my husband was driving around the reefer truck, never in my life, my parents owned a restaurant growing up, but never in my life did I think I would be driving around Chicago in a big truck. And it also took some time for customers to realize what it was because we've just never had this option before.



 And over time, I think through organic conversations, the word got out.

 Well, I have to say the ice is beautiful and I love it because you look at the ice and you're looking for ice performance, I'm told, and a slow dilution rate. Explain what that means.



 Yeah,



 so ice performance. So in Japan,



 they,



 so I guess one of the things in Japan is the whole culture values cleanliness, beauty, utility. So I always compare it to aesthetic and utility. So it's not only beautiful, it serves a purpose. And when we think about ice that is slow melt and crystal clear and the labor and the love that goes into creating these individual cubes,



 it's really, really important that when you're having a drink at home and you're savoring that moment, that you can taste what you're drinking. And so it depends on the surface area of the cube, so the larger the cube, the less surface area you have. And when you have that, it creates a perfectly chilled cocktail that's not overly diluted.



 Okay, and then that ice is sitting in my, let's say I'm having some whiskey or an old-fashioned, and it's sitting in there, and how slow is the rate of dilution? Like, what is your goal when I have that cocktail, how long do you want that ice to really stay in its purest form in that condition before I start noticing it's in my drink? Which will never happen because you've already purified it, right?

 Yeah, well, it's interesting because



 I hate to say this, but it depends. Like, our ice melts 500 times faster, 500 times slower than regular ice. However, because it is still ice, it depends on the warmth of the room, what kind of glass you have it in, what kind of liquor you're using in the percentage of alcohol, or if it's not alcoholic.



 For example, when I use my Yeti tumbler at the beach with a Quari cube, it will last me all day. The cube will last me all day.



 That's crazy. Yeah. That's so nice. So tell everybody what types of ice you sell and where could they buy them right now?

 Yeah, so we have five different SKUs. We have what we call our trial packs, which are four-packs, so four-pack cubes, which are, it's a 1.8-inch cube, which universally fits most glasses in someone's home. We also have four-pack spheres, which is a 2.5-inch crystal clear ice ball,



 so ice sphere.



 And then we have our,



 what we call our value packs, our 12-pack cubes, which are 12 1.8-inch cubes, 12 2.5-inch spheres. And we've had customers say that, they spend over $1,000 on a party and they buy a couple 12-packs of Kori ice and everyone can only talk about the ice because it elevates the experience so much. And then we have our 3.5-pound bags. I love it.

 Okay, what do you think, Audrey, it is about these ice cubes that make us so happy? Because they really bring a smile to your face and you just said that's all anybody wants to talk about and I'm kind of obsessed with your company.

 Well, thank you. That makes me so happy.



 They make me happy. They make me happy. They're beautiful and we deserve it. Like we need beauty in this world. And they just help us savor and enjoy the moment and they make our drinks better, whatever you're drinking.

 It's all about the presentation too. And speaking of beauty, you guys have taken this beautiful thing that you're doing even one step further because you're giving back to the community



 in the form of the people that you are hiring. Tell everybody about that.



 Yeah,



 this is an interesting topic because we don't advertise that we're doing this but we have a big vision to really empower those that need a second chance or may not have even had a first chance. And we partner with Cara Chicago which is a nonprofit here in town and some other organizations to hire individuals who are either battling poverty or have been recently getting used to being back from the prison system.



 And we give-- So they have prior convictions. Prior convictions, yep. And we give our employees stock ownership in our company and pay a living wage to our employees. Now,



 I think what we wanna do is so much more



 and what I've realized in leading a team who has ex-conviction or leading a team that has other challenges like the battling with poverty is it's really difficult as a small business to do more like teaching conflict management skills,



 teaching budget management skills. And so we're trying to tap into other resources to provide more benefits to really help our people. And tell you what, I've worked in corporate America my entire career and it's been the most rewarding and just humbling experience to have this team because they're couriers, they're partners of ours. And I don't look at myself as any different than them.

 So you're creating this beautiful company, you're helping yourself, you're helping your community. Let's talk about the future. What's your goal in the future? What are you guys up to? What's next?



 Yeah, so we're growing. People love Corey Ice. So thank you to those of you that love Corey Ice.



 There's months we can't keep it on the shelf. And we have big plans, big plans to continue to grow and scale and make Corey Ice available in more locations around the US and some more to come there.

 That's great, that's great. And I'm sure that's something that you're looking forward to. Has the success of the company been more challenging than you expected or more successful than you dreamed of?



 The success has been, so I think that's, it's a hard question because it's been a challenging journey to get Corey Ice up and running. If I were to know what we had to go through to create Corey Ice, I don't know if I could sit here and say, I would go through that again.



 That said, I feel like customers have spoken and the product market fits there. Customers love our ice.



 And I never, I knew, I knew there was a need but I never imagined that customers would love it as much as they do. And every time I hear a story or hear how someone uses our ice



 and how they're a fan, it just inspires us to keep going. So I think it's both, it's both and.

 Yeah, sure. Yeah, that's all part of the process, part of the journey. So again, just to let everybody know in Chicago and Wisconsin, in Illinois and Wisconsin, where can we get our hands on your ice or should we go to your website? What do you suggest?



 Yeah, so you can go to our website. You could go to our Instagram page, Corey_ice.



 We sell ice at Mariano's, at Jewel, at Binny's, Sunset Foods and Heinen's. And then some other liquor stores as well.

 Okay, and so if you had to say what your favorite thing about this whole experience has been for you, because you said you were in the corporate world forever. So I'm assuming maybe this has become the full-time world for you right now. What is your favorite experience



 through this whole journey, Bin, for you with Corey Ice?



 I would say the people, the people on my team, the suppliers that inspire me every day, like Amanda Puck.



 And our customers, that's what keeps me going.



 Yeah, it's a lot of fun. It's a fun product. And when I thought Corey Ice, I was thinking of a rock Corey,



 which is, I'm sure, the play on words. Yes. But you were telling us about the Japanese spelling and version of this. But either way, you get this picture in your head of what this product is. And as I said, it brings me such joy and happiness to use one of your blocks of ice. Any future plans for different shapes or sizes that we might be seeing on the shelves?



 I don't know.

 We'll see. We'll see. I think our customers will talk. I've had some customers come to us and say that, they want us to freeze fruit in our ice or for holidays,



 make special holiday additions. And so we are in talks with some co-branding type opportunities and maybe we'll have special shapes or flavors for different holidays throughout the year eventually.

 Wow, the possibilities are endless. Audrey, thank you so much. This was such a fun conversation and so excited to actually meet you. I wanna come out and see your facility because I wanna see how those cubes are made. Just listening to it is a fascinating thing. And who knew, as you said, that it was such an intense labor of love to get that Quari ice in those individual glasses for all your consumers. So thank you again. Such a pleasure to talk to you. Thank you.



 Next up, a Chicago bartender from Minnesota Ice breaks down why ice matters, how to make a gourmet cube at home and the cocktails heating up the bar scene. Stick around, we're just warming up. Hey foodie friends, if Supper with Sylvia feeds your soul like it feeds ours, show us some love. Subscribe, like, leave a kind review and share it with someone who loves a good story and a good meal. Thanks for joining Supper with Sylvia. It's the love of food that brings us together, but it's the stories behind each fight that brings this to life.

 (Upbeat Music)



 So I'm joined today by Richard Belzer. Richard and I met about a month or so ago when Richard, I invited you to come in and do a new segment with me because you guys had sent me a pitch about trending cocktails and what the cocktail scene is these days. But a little further down, there was a whole thing on the fact that you actually sell ice and distribute ice to some of the finer restaurants in Chicago and I was fixated by that. What's up with all this decorative ice now? When did this trend become such a thing and why?



 Right, you know, I think cocktail ice specifically, maybe in Chicago has definitely been popular in the last three to five years. You know, we've seen bars do it maybe on a smaller scale, probably like 10 years ago. And then, you know, New York was like one of the firsts. I think they were the one of the first to introduce big cocktail ice and clear ice, but they've always maybe on the drinks I've been a little ahead. So yeah, they're definitely more popular in the last couple of years.

 Okay, does it make a difference in our drinks?



 Yeah, 1000% does. You know, the reason why is that, you know, when you're chatting, if you're catching up with friends, you don't want your drink to get watery or dilute. So, you know, with big ice cubes, the drink and the flavor kind of sustains over time. So, you know, you can have a chat with a friend and go back to your cocktail and feel like, oh, it still tastes like good versus it being, you know, watered down, especially if you're outside and the weather's nice.

 Yeah, so this is really fun. So I have brought you to look at my ice mold. Okay, my listeners can't see this, but I'm showing this to you. So this is this ice mold that I, cause I love the fact that you can make your own ice and I wanted to do it at home and I wasn't doing such a good job. So whenever I make my ice, this is a mold for the balls.

 Mm-hmm, serious area.

 Yeah, and it's not coming out right. Well, what am I doing wrong? I want everybody at home who has molds to learn what kind of molds should you have and how do you do it properly?

 Right, the molds, you know, you only can do so much. So the one thing is, is that your freezer being a consistent temperature. So even when you're opening and closing it, if you're using it a lot, that change in temperature can really cause the, you know, those cloudy parts of your ice, right? Versus it being clear. It also comes down to directional freezing. So what that means is, is like, does the vessel that you're freezing the ice in, does it have the capacity to move downwards? I know that like, sometimes it's hard to think about because it's in a mold, right? But by it moving downwards, you can see like the cloudy parts will be on the top of the ice. If you're looking more like a cube versus a sphere, the top of the cube will be cloudy, but the rest of it will be clear. That does help. And it's a little more on the nerdy side of why, but it really does come down to the temperature and being consistently cold. Sometimes the fluctuation in temperature can cause it to be cloudy.

 Okay, but you told me something when we talked to my studio that I thought was interesting. And that is the temperature of the water to use the, to put in your mold. What's that supposed to be like?

 Right, impurities is a big thing too. So, you know, when you, if you're just using like water from the faucet, there's iron and other ingredients that can cause the ice to be cloudy as well. So if you boil very hot water, of course, we all know that, it basically removes a lot of those impurities and can be filtered down to be some of the cleanest, quote unquote, water. That does help the process. If you have boiling water and it consistently can freeze at a, you know, a high temperature, but it's a lot of, as we can see, it's a lot of different components too. It's a, but yeah, that is a part of it as well.

 So you're telling me if I boil my water before I put it in my mold, I'm gonna notice a difference?

 I think so, yeah, for sure. I mean, and you'll definitely see like,



 yeah, you'll definitely see a little bit of a change. I think it'll really help with some of the impurities that can cause a little bit of that cloudiness.

 Okay, this is so exciting. I'm gonna try this and I'm gonna get back with you and let you know how actually that works. Okay, so when we're talking fancy ice, I was looking it up, there's three different types. You helped me out here, but I read Collins Spears, Ice Balls and Layered Ice.



 Okay, so explain to me what the different types of molds



 and shapes are, and I wanna know, are they specific to a certain cocktail?

 Right,



 you can definitely, I mean, as far as like, as you're saying, like McSaw just can like find the history of some of these ice cubes and like point it to a single cocktail, but the short answer is that, yes, but the normal cube you probably see at the restaurant is probably more ventured for like an old fashioned or an agroni, something that's more spirit forward that doesn't have citrus, that's something that's just mainly alcohol. And that way you just take like small sips, the sphere, the little ball as well, kind of the same thing. If you're just enjoying like maybe whiskey on the rocks or like you want just a big rock, it's a great way to enjoy it because, you know, some people add a little bit of water, they'll add some like, if they add ice, they maybe just add one small ice cube. It's a great way to enjoy the whiskey at a consistent temperature and flavor, so it doesn't get watered down. The Collins Cube you were talking about, you often see that with a drink called a high ball. So something in soda, even as simple as like a vodka soda or whiskey and soda, enjoyed with like a big Collins Cube is nice because, you know, the drink is what we call behind the bar, like a long drink. It takes longer to drink, but that's like, that's what we often see. And then you, as you were saying, like layer dice or even those like small pebble dice, crushed dice is used for usually like drinks with citrus and something maybe that's more refreshing that taking that water content, like making it like kind of dilute faster is actually beneficial for the drink. So something tropical, right? Like a mojito or, you know, like a pina colada, like with little ice and a lot of it, it's like, you know, you can really enjoy it over time.

 Wow, who knew there was so much involved with ice, right? You've learned a lot, haven't you?

 Yeah, yeah, of course.

 That's part of the job because obviously you've been mixing cocktails for a while now. So if I'm at home and I boiled my water and I've made my fancy ice cube, I have the ball, the spears, you've kind of mentioned already, what is, and that seems to be one of the more popular shapes I see a lot is that whole beautiful ball. And I've seen like your company, you guys put flowers in there, it allows you to do really cool things.



 What is the perfect drink for that type of ice?



 Right, yeah, I mean, really going back to kind of those like spirit forward cocktails, you know, even martini, some people like enjoy a martini on the rocks, but you would often see like old fashioned or a Negroni on that, probably more the old fashioned on that sphere and the incorporation of a flower, right? So if you're drinking something like a Negroni that you can still see through it, and even to an old fashioned, I know that can old fashioned can be like dark brown, almost in colors, so sometimes it's hard to see through the drink, but that red and a Negroni, like you can be able to see like whatever the flower, even if the flower is red or yellow, whatever color it is.



 But really too, I think that kind of, as we've been discussing, like, enjoy everything on it. It's pretty, right? It is. I think that wherever at home cocktail you're making, and you just want it to be cold, and you don't want it to be watery, like just put it on the big sphere with the flower in it. I love that,

 no stress, no stress. Okay, we were at Barre Comico the other day, which I love, and I wanna ask you later about some of your favorite spot, right? And they had the long ice,



 and before she put it in our drink, she shaved off the top four corners. And so we were wondering, is that more for art, or does that serve a purpose in the drink?



 Definitely an aesthetic and an art, you know, the Japanese culture, and Comico being more of kind of influenced by that,



 you know, there's history for long years that the Japanese kind of created that art in the ice.



 But also too, when you're consuming the drink and if the ice moves, right? If it was just flat, sometimes it can kind of be a little uncomfortable as you're drinking, right? But if it's, as they shave it, where it's a little less invasive, enjoying the drink, it's kind of a little, like, a little more comfortable to consume. So I think there is a little bit of a use for it, but primarily just the respect for the ice, where Japanese are very like, respectful for the culture and then aesthetic too.



 Okay, so speaking of trending, as somebody who is very on top of what's going on in the restaurant scene,



 maybe take a look at, I'm hearing that Gen Z'ers specifically aren't drinking as much alcohol, and that if they are, it's usually cocktails, and they're not big wine people. So how has that impacted the spirits industry, and would you say that's true?

 I would, I would definitely say that the younger generation is consuming less alcohol in general, but cocktails, whether they're even non-alcoholic or alcoholic, like the aesthetic, the flavors, they're here to see the kind of creative part of that. And the ice translates to that. Ice doesn't need to always be in an alcoholic cocktail, and I think that some people have took the extra step to put them in a NA cocktail, but definitely an accurate trend for sure. A lot more NA beverages or just, yeah, if they're drinking cocktails, they want, and the value of it, they're like, "I'll spend $16 on a nice cocktail, and it's got pretty ice and a garnish versus maybe buying a $12 glass of wine or something."

 Yeah, it's interesting too, because I joke with my daughter, because she's in that age group. I feel like her age group is bringing back things that we used to have. For instance, there seems to me, there's been a big resurgence in things like an old-fashioned, you know, maybe a Tom Collins. What I love is her generation is going back to that, but they're acting as if they're the ones who started this.



 No, and you're so right. It's funny, because it's like, you know, I'll still work behind the bar like one night a week and a couple nights a week, and I get a Cosmo call or a Mojito call, and I'm like, you know, and it's same, you know, I've been bartending for a little around 15 years now, and it's just, it's crazy to see as these like very first classic cocktails kind of have a resurgence, and which one's more popular? I feel like we're all taken to gamble. What's the next popular old-school cocktail?

 Yeah, you know, I don't know if you watched that Palm Royale show, but they brought back the Grasshopper drink.

 Yeah, yeah, I saw that.

 And so what would you say is trending right now when it comes to cocktails?

 Yeah, as I mentioned, the Cosmo, I feel like the Cosmopolitan is a little popular, the Lemon Drop, those like New York martinis that were like really, really cool in the 70s and you know, in early 80s.



 You know, in the Midwest, the old-fashioned is always gonna be popular. I just think with like Wisconsin and your variations on an old-fashioned, I don't think that will ever lose popularity. But you know, I think that also like maybe more people are traveling to Italy, and I feel like a lot of more Italian restaurants are there. You know, the Aperol spritz,



 and too like even as far as the Negroni, because it's like, it's bitter, it's not super sweet,



 but always too on the back end of all of it, the Espresso Martini is still gonna continue to be popular. I think variations of that are gonna be more popular, but I think coffee and alcohol, people still very much love.

 So when you're working at a bar and you have different generations coming to sit in order, can you almost predict what they're gonna order?



 You know, I do, but then as you just mentioned, I'm so surprised when it's like, you know, like very much younger person coming to the bar and they even have, you know, not that the young people don't have manners, but like, you know, they'll come in as like, can I please have a, you know, old-fashioned and a cosmopolitan? And I was like, this was a different generation when I was 21, you know, it's like when I was ordered drinks in a bar. So I try not to. I never hold anyone to any expectations, especially with like the exposure of all these really great, amazing things. But you know, it's a, sometimes they validate my assumptions, but oftentimes it's actually quite a surprise more than often.



 So in Chicago, you've been doing this for a while, but I am older than you. So I remember when the aviary opened, okay? And there was, didn't seem to be anything else like that in town. And now there are so many places. I just went to one a few weeks ago called Dearly Beloved that was just stunning. The setup was incredible.



 But after, I love going to after. Beautiful. Beautiful, right? So I want to know from you, what is your favorite spot and what would you like to recommend to people too who haven't been able to experience this whole cocktail focused industry and world and restaurants that are now at our fingertip here in Chicago?



 Right. There's so many, right? And I feel like, you know, a lot of the bartenders I grew up with now starting to open their own bars. So it's really exciting to see like some of that translation. Say some of my favorite places right now would probably be B Zoo. It's in Fulton Market.



 Very like French inspired Martini Bar. Has a great cocktail program. Very pretty in there. It's the same people who opened Sparrow and Gold Coast. Very another pretty cocktail bar.



 More in the Bucktown area, there's a bar called Truce and it's a neighborhood cocktail bar, but with a lot of really, like, as you mentioned, it's like kind of elevated technique and but a really like homey, you know, warm hospitality place.



 Another bar I think is great is even in, I know it's a restaurant, but Daisy's in Logan Square. Their cocktail program is spectacular. And they just got kind of noticed with the other cocktail bar called Medallar, not far from Daisy's and also in Logan Square, more of a speakeasy, but those two were just awarded some prestigious cocktail awards recently. So definitely worth a visit.

 You mentioned all places I've heard of. I love Daisy's and I love going there for the cocktails, the food and the desserts.



 The pastry chef there is incredible.



 So talented. So this is great. I love this because you've, I've never even been to Bezus or heard of it. I'm gonna hit that one up next. Thank you for that. But what do you expect to see in the future



 as this cocktail industry is really growing by leaps and bounds and the wine industry is going, oh my gosh, we think we're in trouble. What do you expect the trend in the future to be?



 Right,



 wine and cocktails have always kind of gone. If wine goes up and cocktails go down and then cocktails go up and wine goes up. I look at it as like a restaurant, right? Like a day a restaurant. Maybe one day, everyone's drinking wine or the next day everyone's drinking cocktails. Whether that time is longer or shorter, we'll get back to wine. It's not like wine will go away, this production of wine and how important it is for a lot of people.



 But I do think, yeah, it's exciting to see that drink culture in Chicago is getting a little more, and not even trendy, but just a little more intentional. I feel like a lot of people are looking at the value of it and maybe they're traveling and seeing other drink cocktail programs and being a little more curious to see what that is if they weren't a cocktail drinker before.



 But yeah, I would not be surprised in a few years time where there just is these more expansive cocktail bars here in Chicago that maybe also follow a theme or inspiration or as all these other people continue to travel, like chefs have been doing for a number of years to open the bar that maybe it's like, I went to Singapore and I really saw this amazing bar, so I wanted to open something in Chicago that reminded me of that.



 And the culture too, I feel like a lot of bars and restaurants open because whether they're Filipino or from Spain, I wanna open what my mom cooked when I was younger. It's kind of the same thing. I wanna open the cocktail culture that's like very prevalent in Spain, but I wanna show it here in Chicago or something like that. I think I'm gonna see a lot more of that as we keep progressing.



 Okay, Richard Belcher, where can people maybe follow you whether it's social media, learn a little more about your company. You wanna recommend a website or Instagram or anything? Let us know.

 Yeah, so the Minnesota Ice Instagram is mnpearencleare or mn.ice. We have two of them that kind of service a lot of different platforms because we're also an ice sculpting company. But yeah, if you wanna follow me on my personal Instagram, it's Belcher, my last name right here, B-L-T-Z-R, Seltzer, thought it was kind of a nice rhyme. So Belcher Seltzer.

 Okay, and then actually I have one more question since you mentioned Minnesota Ice.



 Can I go online and order your ice from Minnesota Ice?



 Yes, yes you can. So if you just go to our website, I know based in Minnesota, how are you gonna get into Chicago, right? So we have created some platforms and we're working on growing a little more on that platform here in Chicago. But our company there, just with that Midwest intention and hospitality, we'll get the ice to you sometime.



 In the meantime, I'm gonna go boil some hot water and see what makes a difference with my ice. Richard Belcher, so nice to talk to you. Thank you so much for doing this for us.

 Thank you so much, Sylvia. It's really good to see you again.

 Great to see you. This podcast is produced by Jane Stephens, audio engineering and original music by Donnie Cutting, social media and promotions, Magali Blasdell.