James Cain, one of the founders of Vault Brewing is in the process of opening his new concept, Mouthful Of Diamonds at 1850 Hope Street. What is Mouthful of Diamonds, with its distinctive and mysterious name? When What Now Philadelphia spoke with Cain via phone, he told us that Mouthful of Diamonds is a clear ice company, vacuum distillery and cocktail cafe, and a specialty coffee roastery and restaurant with seating for 75 that should open in the fall of 2022.
The name Mouthful of Diamonds is a metaphor for the premium cocktail drinking experience that their customers will experience at the cocktail cafe. With such care taken to produce all parts of the cocktail, including the ice, you’ve got a Mouthful of Diamonds.
Cain‘s mind is on the quality of the ingredients that his company produces and how that can affect the taste but also the character of his cocktails and the ambiance of the cafe. Many companies set a store about getting the best ingredients, but Cain wants to make sure everything Mouthful of Diamonds serves is up to his standards including the ice.
Cain mentioned the story that astrophysicist Brian Cox told about the atmospheric conditions on the planet Saturn. Because the pressures are so intense, even in the planet’s atmosphere, falling chunks of carbon are transformed into a rain of diamonds. If humans were on the planet Saturn, provided they could manage to stand still on the planet’s gaseous surface, one could look up, open their mouth, and catch a mouthful of diamonds. It’s amazing imagery for a cocktail cafe.
The connection between Cain’s consideration of scientific principles informs the process that he will use to make every ingredient in the cafe’s cocktails. Cain said to What Now Philadelphia via phone that he “wanted to put ice on a pedestal” and fully explore all the uses for ice in a cocktail like visual elements and flavors. He also said that they will “leverage the laws of physics in interesting ways to create something unique and special through processes like directional freezing and vacuum distillation.”
The coffee roastery will serve in the mornings and will showcase exotic specialty coffees and brewing techniques. Customers can expect vacuum extracted coffees and coffee drinks with clear ice.
Vacuum distilling will allow Cain to reduce the boiling point so that he can play with the flavors and extraction elements. The restaurant will make dishes in a wood-fired oven served with cocktails with specialty ice. With such a well-equipped and inventive restaurant and cocktail space, it seems like the possibilities could be endless.
