Item: Hammerstone’s Whiskey Disks

ITEM TYPE: Whiskey Stone/Ice Cube Substitute
MAKER:
COST: $29.99 US  (Plus Shipping)

Overview: Made from New Hampshire soapstone, a dense, non porous type of stone quite soft (for a stone that is) – it will not scratch up your glassware. Sourced from quarries in Quebec – not someplace suspect, such as a quarry in China – cerfified as contaminent free.

Appearance: Nicely made and well finished product come with small drawstring bag to keep them together in your freezer. Each one is about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 3/4 inch thick with a smooth slightly slick feel to them. Nice colors and some grain patterns to the stone.

First Impression: Dense and heavy, smooth to the touch, with nicely rounded off edges to them. Nice heft and feel generally.

Testing: One advantage we found of a flat and round disc is the superior contact/surface area for smaller amounts of whiskey – a sphere or cube is going to have most of its chilling surface high and dry from your drink whereas the disk shaped stones sit nicely on the bottom of your glass. Swirls nicely with the whiskey, not against it or creating a lot of aeration or worse yet potential spillage! Didn’t rattle or clink, stays put , and does not shift around much.

Other ice substitutes we have seen are usually either marble or metal of some sort (steel, aluminum, or whatever). Marble is omewhat porous – and metal can corrode or leave bits of metal or plating in a drink,  or in the case of plastic, potentially pick up food odors, or possibly add some BPA, solvents, or similar compounds to your drink.

Easy clean up and maintain, they don’t absorb anything so you can wash them of and reuse them easily.

Final Thoughts: Would make a great gift for the drinks enthusiast in you life, and since they are made of stone they will last a lifetime and possibly several more. Not sure about commercial bar applications – at least at a busy bar as I would be afraid the customers might decide to pocket them.

Web site: http://www.whiskeydisks.com

Not a great deal of information – but their story and a few different items for sale. Simple and straightforward.