The Boy and his Poison: Booze Cubes

"Simplicity itself" was the slightly slurred conclusion I managed to get out on Friday night when a friend told me about this tip. It's definitely not the sort of arrangement you'd want to admit to having on a regular basis but if you're strapped for fridge space (like I am in my shoebox kitchen) or for impromptu summer parties (if we ever have a summer) it's utter genius.

The idea is simple. You take the problem of how to chill a drink without diluting it and then in a nifty paradigm shift you make the problem into a cute solution. That's right, I'm talking frozen cubes of white wine and rose, or for the more adventurous, frozen espresso cubes for impromptu espresso martinis. All you need is a silicone ice tray and the least boozy element of your drink of choice and you're in business. Then when you want to serve your perfectly chilled wine, simply drop one of cubes in the glass and stir.

Its also a really practical way of storing accessible wine for cooking if for some reason you don't want to demolish the rest of the bottle. Simply make a batch of red and white and you'll never be stuck for that drop of chianti to pick up your ragu or that essential slug of pinot for your risotto.