The Elegant Ice Upgrade Martha Stewart Swears By For Stunning Cocktails

Martha Stewart is the quintessential home maker and host. She's been dazzling us with her recipes, crafts, and décor tips for decades. Whether she's test-tasting caviar or sipping on wine with Snoop Dogg, she's sort of America's sweetheart and go-to expert on all things food and drink. Martha loves to mix up a cocktail, and she shared one simple ice trick that makes all the difference — spherical ice cubes (via Food & Wine).

Unlike many cocktail upgrades, this is a super affordable and practical tip that anyone with a freezer and silicone ice mold can pull off. Not only is the ice sphere stunning in a rocks glass, but it actually helps to keep drinks cold without melting and diluting your beverage. And because she's Martha, she doesn't stop at just boring ice — she shared how to upgrade the ice spheres themselves to make stunning cocktails that are sure to be a hit at your next dinner party. 

Round ice spheres are pretty much standard for lone spirits served on the rocks, like whiskey or Scotch. Because they have less surface area than a cube, they are slower to melt, which means less dilution. And the core of the sphere is better insulated, so it won't melt as quickly as small ice cubes. But Martha Stewart doesn't reserve these ice spheres for neat spirits. In fact, she doesn't limit ice to just water, either.  She often adds juices or even sorbet to the molds so that they add new layers of flavor as they melt. Consider the possibilities of a lemonade ice sphere in a margarita or frozen orange juice in an old fashioned. 

Martha Stewart's food tool line at Macy's offers a sphere mold for $19. You can make ice cubes in advance and store them in the freezer in a plastic storage tub so you aren't limited by the number of molds you have.