Alcademics

I'm leading hands-on ice butchering classes in San Francisco! Cubes and diamonds and spheres, oh my! 

The next classes are scheduled for October 7. Tickets here. 

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photos: Allison Webber

In the class we'll:

• Briefly introduce how to make clear ice with directional freezing and how clear ice trays work
• Cut up slabs of ice into big cubes
• Cut cubes into ice diamonds
• Learn to make ice spheres with a knife and an ice ball press
• Make patterned, blinged-out ice with several different tools
• Cracking, shaving, and and other ice manipulation 

You'll get to try out tools including watermelon saws, knives, ice picks, ice plates, cookie presses, and more in this hands-on class. We'll have cut-resistant gloves to keep you safe- and they also help keep your ice hand warm.

The Class Includes:

• Instruction from Camper English, limited to 10 people per session. 
• A beverage from a limited selection over your freshly-carved ice.
• The option to take some ice home with you- bring a small cooler if that's of interest.

Price and Tickets

• Tickets are $90 (including EventBrite fees), copies of The Ice Book are separate. 

Tips

• The Mechanics Institute is right by the Montgomery Street MUNI/Bart station. 

About Your Instructor

Cocktail journalist Camper English taught the world a new way to make clear ice at home in a blog post from 2009. Since then he and other people have refined the technique and come up with new trays and tools to take advantage of "directional freezing." In 2023 Camper published The Ice Book, which has received tremendous press.

Camper has taught dozens of classes and talks about ice and other topics on cocktail science and history. For this ice butchering class, Camper will bring his favorite tools and toys to try your hand at cutting, carving, pressing, and blinging out crystal clear chunks of ice. 

Note: I'm able to lead private classes in other locations, just shoot me a note. alcademics at gmail

credit: Allison Webber

credit: Allison Webber

credit: Allison Webber

credit: Allison Webber