Bar Tools
Proper Lewis Bag & Mallet
$42
Why Al Buys This
“Because crushed ice done wrong is just frozen water. Crushed ice done right is a component.”
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Al's Full Endorsement
The Lewis bag is canvas. The mallet is wooden. Together they produce crushed ice — the kind that goes in a Mint Julep, a Swizzle, a Queen's Park Hotel Super Cocktail if you're feeling ambitious. The kind that looks right, drinks right, and melts at the right rate.
I want to be very clear about what the Lewis bag is not: it is not a blender. A blender produces ice shards. Ice shards are what you get when you don't own a Lewis bag and don't care about the outcome. They are fine for smoothies. They have no business in a cocktail.
The canvas absorbs a small amount of moisture as you work, which means the crushed ice comes out drier — less watery, more textured. This is a practical detail that sounds fussy until the first time you taste the difference, after which it becomes one of those things you can't unknow and won't stop mentioning.
You're welcome.
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