"I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch..."

As odd as it may seem, being that I'm not a big drinker, this post is relevant due to my interest in various types of design.  A very unique and novel design concept by Macallan used to serve their finely aged Scotch "over the rocks." 

I present to you, The Macallan Ice Ball Machine. This thing is absolutely intriguing, I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. However, it clearly functions and is an example of scientific and technical genius. A few notes regarding its functionality:

"Did you know it runs on GRAVITY? Yes, high tech stuff… also the magical frictional heating of copper also comes in to play somehow just perfectly at room temperature. Really you stick a roughly right sized chunk of ice in between the two heavy pieces, and let gravity go to work on it. And with in moments ~ right before your eyes ~ it melts down to a perfectly glossy sphere. It’s magical really. This incredible device was discovered in japan (side note: where the macallan team also discovered japanese taking straight razors to carve perfect spheres of ice) ~ and they have exclusive rights to the device for a few years!"  - NOTCOT

 

"Beverage purists argue that ice should never be introduced to a quality Scotch whiskey. Such thinking rests on the theory that when holding a glass, your body heat will melt the ice, resulting in a diluted spirit and sub-par drinking experience. In order to make a Scotch cold without diluting it, Scottish whiskey purveyors The Macallan created a clever ice ball maker (pictured above). The machine creates a ball of ice precisely sized to fit into an average tumbler. The spherical nature slows the melting process making it less susceptible to hand warmth, preserving the liquor while keeping it refreshingly cool. In addition to being practical, the machine is noteworthy as an artifact unto itself. Inspired by Japanese bartenders who hand carve their ice balls, the machine uses two heavy copper plates while gravity slowly presses blocks of ice into perfectly spherical shapes. Watching it at work is almost as enjoyable as drinking the scotch, but not quite." -Josh Teixeira for Cool Hunting

Actual scientifically functional as well as creatively executed, a reason why I love this Ice Ball Machine.  As I stated prior, I'm not that big of a drinker, in fact I rarely do at all. However, If I'm not mistaken, quality and gourmet liquors such as this deserve at least a taste. Seeing it presented in this fashion deems it definitely worth while, if an opportunity should present itself. I would like to think that Scotch fans and non-fans alike should be able to enjoy this marvelous piece of machinery. 

via NOTCOT IN FOOD+DRINK 
via CoolHunting.com