You won't typically find a glass of water with ice on the other side of the pond—so why don't Europeans use ice?
Have you ever noticed how Americans fill up their entire glass with ice and then pour their beverage in, but Europeans take their drinks at room temperature? In the United States, we’ve created fridges that dispense crushed or cubed ice at the press of a button, but in Britain, they typically serve their tap water warm. So why don’t Europeans use ice in their drinks? It’s definitely one of those British things that confuses Americans, but it has origins dating back more than a century. Keep reading to find out why Europeans have different tastes in beverage temp than Americans.
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Why don’t Europeans use ice?
This tradition—if that’s what you want to call it—dates back to the 19th century. During that time, it was already commonplace for most American homes to have an icebox. At the same time, ice would be harvested in northern America or Canada, shipped across the Atlantic and sold at a high price in British department stores. Imagine heading to Macy’s to treat yourself to a block of ice!
Putting ice in drinks became somewhat of a fashion trend for the wealthy in Britain. Some would put a few cubes in their champagne and sip on chilled drinks at high-class parties. But, as with many a fashion trend, this one eventually faded, primarily because the ice was just too expensive. And even once iceboxes began appearing in homes in Britain, the Brits themselves never took a liking to ice in their drinks.
So, next time you travel across the pond, don’t feel offended if your proper British server gives you an eye roll when you ask for ice water.
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