Petaluma company looks to capitalize on ice market for craft cocktails

The craft cocktail scene is much more than expensive bourbon or whiskey.

A set of six bitters ― small bottles packed with botanicals ―can cost $50 on Amazon. A set of four Dorset double old-fashioned glasses from Williams Sonoma can sell for $20.

Thus, it would reason that whether it be a professional bartender or an amateur mixologist, there is another crucial ingredient that goes into most drinks that deserves attention and should be highly valued as well: ice.

That’s the genesis behind a new company based in Petaluma that is bringing crystal-clear ice from filtered water in various shapes and sizes for those who value presentation as much as taste.

Abstract Ice sells different boxes, which range from small orbs to large spheres to standard cubes, which are tailored to specific drinks. The company has a “Rock” box that consists of two-inch cubes made to fill an old-fashioned glass.

For those who want a more unique look, there is the “Infinity Sphere,” that is 2¾ of an inch in diameter that can fit in an old-fashioned or rocks glass.

The “Tower” box consists of tall cubes of ice that have a length of slightly more than 5 inches and are tailored for “long” drinks such as a Tom Collins or a highball.

“This ice … can really transform your experience from a nice tasting beverage to a beautiful, beautiful tasting beverage which you enjoy much more,” said Todd Stevenson, Abstract Ice founder and chief executive officer. “It’s a simple pleasure of beauty in your life to have something really nice and very affordable.”

Stevenson showed off the product Tuesday at Wilibees Wine & Spirits in Santa Rosa where Abstract Ice has its own display freezer. The ice must be tempered for up to three minutes at room temperature to ensure it doesn’t crack when liquids are poured over because the attraction of the product is being able to see clearly through the glass.

Stevenson placed a wine list underneath that could be easily read through the ice.

“I turned this on to a bunch of my friends,” said Vikram Badhan, owner of Wilibees as he helped pour whiskey over a sphere. “That’s why I have an open box that I can drink scotch right away. It’s just perfect. It doesn’t melt right away.”

The products range in price from $7 to $12 a box at such Bay Area retail locations as Charley's Liquor & Deli in Petaluma and Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa.

While such costs may make some do a double take, those in the industry say the prices are not out of line compared to related costs in their field.

“Their ice is such a beautiful compliment to the cocktails we are making in our tasting bar,” said Jenny Griffo, part of the wife-and-husband team that owns Griffo Distillery and uses Abstract Ice in its cocktails made for customers at its facility.

The distillery takes the same approach with the specialized items that it includes in the cocktail kits that it sells online and its canned cocktails.

“You can’t have the best old-fashioned in town if you don’t have the best ice,” Griffo said.

The idea for the business started when Stevenson was on a business trip in Tokyo while working for Diageo, the British alcohol beverage company, about 20 years ago. He was with a colleague in a bar when the bartender pulled out a block of ice.

“He takes out an ice pick and chops this thing into this frickin’ perfect ball that goes into this rocks glass. It was top to bottom and side to side (in the glass) and then he poured the whiskey over it,” Stevenson said. “I was like, ‘That’s incredible.’”

He made the connection then that while he was selling upscale single-malt Scotch whisky for the company, much of the product was likely being poured over lousy ice.

Stevenson was not at a place in his life to pursue such an entrepreneurial endeavor and then switched jobs to land at Lagunitas Brewing Co. in Petaluma where he served as chief operating officer during rapid growth for the company from 2008 to 2016. That was just after Heineken International took a stake in the company.

In retirement, he saw an article in The Wall Street Journal about artisanal ice that triggered the past fascination and led him to investigate the topic.

Stevenson found the market for the product was centered around small companies that used specific machines shaped like a bathtub that would circulate water around so that the ice would freeze directionally and be clear at the end of the process.

These machines were originally designed for making ice sculptures, Stevenson noted, with the most popular made by the Clinebell Equipment Co in Colorado.

The problem was that the process resulted with large chunks of clear ice that would have to be cut with chain saws and bandsaws to be used in cocktails, not making it cost effective.

“The thought was there has to be a way to make this ice more affordable and can bring it to more people,” he said. “More and more bars want this type of ice, but it is still a premium, niche thing.”

In his quest, Stevenson brought together two former Lagunitas colleagues as part of co-founders for the project: Ash Notaney, who serves as president, and Leon Sharyon, who serves as chief financial officer.

In fact, half of the company’s 14 employees have worked at Lagunitas.

They developed a new manufacturing technique with the help of a Silicon Valley firm to make the cost of production of the clear ice more affordable, a process that resulted in filing four patents.

Abstract Ice also worked with Charles Joly, a James Beard Award winning beverage designer, in developing the products.

The privately held company also has investors that includes family offices that serve high-net-worth clients, but no large private equity groups, Stevenson said.

He didn’t talk about the growth rate that Abstract Ice expects over the next few years, but noted that the segment is in its infancy. “We really believe this is an area of opportunity. There is a lot of latent demand for this.”

The company realizes that outreach will be key and is working with bars where it is used, which includes Brewsters Beer Garden in Petaluma and The Matheson in Healdsburg, because its product benefits by being able to be viewed as part of the finished cocktail to bring out its value, Stevenson said.

“It’s the difference between a beautiful piece of artwork on the wall and the poster,” Stevenson said of Abstract Ice and regular ice.

“It just makes the experience of that drink more special.”

You can reach Staff Writer Bill Swindell at 707-521-5223 or bill.swindell@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @BillSwindell.