TODAY, US PUBLICATION Mother Jones published an article with the headline “Lay Off The Artisanal Ice, You Ignorant Hipsters”.

Yes, it seems artisanal ice is now very much a thing.

Artisanal ice. Artisanal ice? Artisanal ice.

But where does it come from? What even is it?

Artisanal ice became a thing earlier this month when a new restaurant located in Washington DC announced that they would be charging $1 for so-called “artisanal ice cubes”.

Restaurant manager Phil Clark justified the decision by claiming that artisanal ice cubes don’t leave a “minerally taste” and are therefore worth that extra dollar.

The ice cubes themselves are made by a Washington-based ice company called Favourite Ice, who claim that their ultra-clear ice helps create “the perfect cocktail on the rocks”.

Favourite Ice is not an anomaly, however. As Mother Jones reports, there are an estimated 20 artisanal ice suppliers in the United States.

To be fair, many do swear that there is a difference. The cubes melt at a slower pace than regular ice cubes, meaning that cocktails don’t ended up tasting watered down.

That hasn’t stopped people from forecasting the end of days, though.

How long before it reaches Ireland?

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