I recently got an email from the folks at a company called OriginalBos (http://www.OriginalBos.com) announcing their new product called “Balls of Steel”. I couldn’t stop chuckling after seeing all the double-entendre in the email and on their Web site. To announce their product, their email and Web site used the phrase “the balls have dropped”. The product instructions include the phrase “take your Balls and gently place them in the freezer”.
To end the mystery, Balls of Steel are exactly that–balls of steel. Specifically, they’re a set of two stainless steel balls that you put in the freezer until they’re frozen (about 90 minutes). Then, you put them in whiskey, wine, or other spirits and swirl them around until the drink is the perfect level of coolness. This is much more preferable to putting ice in a drink, because ice melts and waters down the liquor. With these, your drink stays perfect to the last drop, as the balls will retain their coldness for a long, long time. And if you’re a teetotaler, you can still use Balls of Steel for your soda. Who likes to drink that last sip of tepid, watered-down Coke?
In other words, balls of steel are kind of a like a modern, hipper version of whiskey stones. But they make a much nicer gift. After all, who wants to get some rocks for Christmas? They come in a really cool gift box, and are the perfect companion gift if you’ll be giving someone a nice bottle of scotch or wine. So pass the stones this holiday season and get some balls.
All of the colorful wordplay has a serious purpose. 15% of all net sales revenue goes towards testicular cancer research. Testicular cancer isn’t something that men like to talk about, probably for a lot of the same reasons that women didn’t feel comfortable talking about breast cancer until recently. A lot of great charities helped remove the stigma and awkwardness for women through “pink ribbon” awareness campaigns, which undoubtedly resulted in saving countless lives. But testicular cancer remains largely an unspoken topic, even though it is the most common cancer in males from ages 20 to 39, and is highly curable if detected in time.
For each unit sold, OriginalBos donates a high percentage of profits to MD Anderson Cancer Center who is the country’s leading center for testicular cancer research and treatment. The company also using a additional amount to fund community building for those affected directly by testicular cancer and their friends and family.
I had a chance to check out my own set of balls. They come packaged in a beautifully designed gift box. The balls are actually smaller than I thought they’d be–they’re about the size of a big cherry or grape.
I was pleasantly surprised by what I found inside. There’s a instruction manual (that, of course, says “Say Hello to your new Balls of Steel) that gives you specific instructions for how to properly freeze them.
There’s also a cute little felt carrying bag, as well as a cute little set of tongs. The tongs are extremely important, as you absolutely, absolutely need to take them out of your glass before you drink.
The round thing is a black wristband with the company name and URL on it.
And of course there are the balls themselves. They’re heavier than I thought they’d be so they can sink right down to the bottom of your glass and just roll around a little.
I had a little scotch in the house, but to test out the Balls of Steel I decided to drink my most prized possession: a rare bottle of Mexican Sprite (with real cane sugar vs. corn syrup) that I found in my local supermarket.
Here’s what the Sprite, a champagne glass, and the steel balls looked like.
I was amazed at how quickly the balls cooled my drink down. Just a couple of swirls and it was ice cold. I was a little tempted to be lazy and to drink it with the balls in there, but that would have been a good way to shatter my front teeth or my glass or both. I’m glad I read the manual first!
At $19.99 this is a great Christmas gift for anyone in your life who enjoys their hooch with its full flavor and not watered down. And every time you use them you can it’s a great opportunity to bring a little more awareness to the fight to end testicular cancer.
