For as long as the Martini has existed, so have efforts to make—and keep—the drink as cold as possible. These efforts have included everything from ultrasonic technology to “Supercooling Magic.” But even if we managed to crack the code on delivering a drink at precisely –12 degrees Celsius, there was still the problem of ensuring it stayed that way once it entered the glass.
That is, until the advent and subsequent widespread adoption of the sidecar—a single-serve carafe nestled into a bed of crushed ice that holds the remainder of the drink until it’s ready to be consumed. Problem solved.
Sure, a perfectionist might take issue with the fact that, unless the bar has opted for a particularly small Martini glass (a choice I personally endorse), the drink appears half-empty (or, I suppose, half-full if you’re one of those people) when it arrives. But this is a small price to pay for a drink kept uniformly cold, from the first sip to the last.
The Martini, however, inspires constant iteration. It is a mirror for the moment—it can never be cracked once and for all. And if you order the drink at any number of new bars, from Schmuck in New York City to Gus’ Sip & Dip in Chicago, you might find that before you finish the drink, a bartender swoops in to transfer your half-consumed Martini into a fresh, frosted glass, a move popularized at the upscale American restaurant chain Hillstone. Does this make the second half of your drink any colder? No. But it sure does make you feel special.
And it’s an interesting counterpoint to the prevailing sidecar approach. Both have their flaws, but the rise of the Refrost, as I’m calling it, represents a welcome shift away from the notion of the cocktail itself as the epicenter of the cocktail bar experience. Instead, it reinforces the real reason we go out to bars in the first place—to feel seen, taken care of, connected.
Of course, I typically don’t have time to enjoy either approach. I dispose of my Martini in the manner Harry Craddock himself preferred: “Quickly, while it’s still laughing at you.”
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