Since the dawn of the cocktail renaissance, enthusiasts have lusted after the beautifully cut, clear cubes adorning their old fashioneds and sazeracs at craft cocktail bars. Whether you’re new to cocktails or a longtime enthusiast, by the time you finish reading this post you’ll have a better grasp of the how clear ice is made, options for making clear ice at home, as well as one of the best visual illustrations of the process I’ve ever seen.

As we age, our palates change, and whether that’s due to physiology or simply preference is akin to the nature versus nurture debate. Reality is likely a combination. Sometimes we call certain tastes “acquired” and research suggests that there is a baseline amount of exposure…