The Ice Queen Reigns Supreme Over Washington, DC
/
Millie Petrović is a self-described “Ice Queen” with a business model reshaping how you look at the ice cube in your next drink.
By Tim Ebner, from “The Buzz” column, Fall 2021 | Photography by Jennifer Chase
Winter is coming, and Millie Petrović is the ice queen. And in Washington, DC, her reign is supreme, especially if you’re a bartender looking to impress patrons with a few stunning drinks.
From ice cubes that take the shape of a diamond or honeycomb to orbs that entrap edible flowers or playing cards, her frozen creations are popping up in your Instagram feeds and at bars across the city.
By her count, she has crafted some 15,000 cubes in the last year—her first year in business.
While you might think of ice as an afterthought to a satisfying cocktail, for Petrović it’s the main appeal. Ice can instantly win a person over, with its crystal-clear looks, even before the first sip.
From her hand-carved designs to custom molds she creates, she considers her work a balance between practicality and art.
“For me, ice gives you all the aesthetics and the integrity of a drink,” Petrović says. “You want something that looks good and can stay frozen long enough to enjoy what you’re drinking.”
Her ethos on ice comes from her days as a bartender. She worked at RPM Italian before the COVID-19 pandemic and decided to launch an artisanal ice cube company two weeks prior to the initial lockdown last year.
“During COVID times, I started exploring and found all of these companies that specialize in custom ice,” Petrović says. “But nobody in DC was doing this, so I decided out of curiosity to give it a shot.”
She went from a one-person business to now several staff members and a warehouse in Baltimore that carves hundreds, sometimes thousands, of ice cubes each week for DC bars and restaurants.
The Ice Queen’s queendom includes the District, Maryland, and Virginia. Find her cubes at the Michelin-starred Bresca on 14th Street, Residents in Dupont Circle, Seven Reasons on U Street and the New Orleans–style eatery Dauphine’s in Downtown DC.
“Because of the pandemic, I quickly captured the attention of bartenders stuck at home, especially on social media,” Petrović says. “That propelled my business forward from zero to 100, so much so that I reached my production capacity within a few weeks.”
You can also follow her along on Instagram @theicequeenllc. Petrović’s followers include almost 3,000 devotees with an appreciation for the chillness factor of her art.
From conceptualization to the clunk her ice cubes make in a rocks glass, Petrović is thinking about her work carefully and according to what bartenders need. Glass size, melt time and even the drinks’ ingredients are all considerations she’ll take into account.
Petrović created an ornate rock-sized ice cube in the shape of a rose for Bartender Jon Schott.
For instance, in a recent cocktail competition, she worked with King’s Ransom and The People’s Drug Bartender Jon Schott to create a drink called “The Wildflower Sour.”
That cocktail was a play-off riff of a whiskey sour, except it was meant to take on the hues of rose petals.
To complement the drink’s color, Petrović created an ornate rock-sized ice cube crafted into the shape of a rose and topped with local bee pollen.
“It’s fun to get creative with drinks like these, and conceptualize the ice around a specific bartender,” she says. “I love bringing their ideas to life.”
But in Petrović’s world, no two ice cubes are ever the same—personalization is the name of the game, and sometimes those unique shapes take hold after a few sudden mistakes.
“You can’t avoid the human error piece of this business,” she admits. “Something always goes wrong.”
The day I spoke to Petrović she was having electrical issues with her freezer—a nightmare scenario for anyone that works at below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
“This business also definitely builds in some obsessive-compulsive tendencies,” she says. “But my philosophy is you have to adapt to the situation you are in and try to do your best with what you’re given.”
The best is clearly what’s given to us by the Ice Queen. Petrović delivers unique and creative ice formations, which you can now order whether you’re at the bar or quickly fixing up a drink at home.
The Ice Queen Now Delivers
Looking to impress your guests? The Ice Queen can deliver artisanal ice cubes to your door. Residents in the District, Maryland and Virginia can choose from unique shapes or custom designs for contactless delivery.
For details on ordering visit: theicequeen.us
Tim Ebner is an associate editor for Edible DC, and the magazine’s cocktail writer. His drinks column won the International Association of Culinary Professionals Award in 2020.
