Exclusive | Cocktail-sipping New Yorkers looking to beat the heat with a side of fancy ice and bars are happy to pay for the upgrade

Talk about a chilling effect.As summer officially kicks off and an oppressive heat wave threatens to melt the Northeast, New Yorkers will be venturing to rooftop lounges and chic watering holes to cool down, but with icy flair.Big Apple bars are happy to pay extra to have crystal-clear ice delivered to their doors because in the world of fine cocktails, everything that goes into a drink matters — even the ice.Customers have even come to expect it, and much more.While most people only think of ice as a simple afterthought, it’s already crystal clear to those in the know that ice plays a pivotal role in the flavor, presentation and overall experience of a perfect drink.And while fancy frozen cubes aren’t a brand-new concept, specialty cocktail ice has saturated high-end bars and restaurants — and now even private parties are embracing the trend that’s done anything but cool in recent years.“Almost any new cocktail bar and restaurant aspiring for awards does this,” Alex Dominguez, head bartender at Bar Calico, told The Post.Unlike the typical crushed or cubed ice, bespoke ice is often larger, clearer and meticulously crafted.At its core, specialty ice is about precision and purpose.It’s also about expecting the unexpected.That includes petite flowers, literally frozen in time, encased and floating in a snow globe-like ball.

Or fancy-font engravings to personalize and add elegance to a birthday or anniversary celebration.Or even adorable gummy bears patiently waiting for the melt to happen so the imbiber can pop the candy in their mouth as a sweet cocktail chaser.Like many other top-tier city venues, Dominguez’s team adds thrill to the chill at their Flatiron District bar by ordering from Hundredweight Ice, which charges $30 for 50 pieces of the standard but upsized 2-inch cubes and $5 per 2.25-inch hand-cut “Geodesic” sphere.This cold is bold, and clear-cut ice has become “the norm” at most craft cocktail bars, according to Isabel “Izzy” ...