“Can I Get Ice There?” is one of the most often asked questions by Americans on travel groups that I follow, and lack of icy drinks is a frequent complaint that I hear from Americans. Please don’t take offense, but this question drives me crazy.
Because this question is so frequent and my inquiring mind needs to know, I found out why Americans like icy cold drinks and why many Europeans find ice literally distasteful. If you want a more in-depth look into this phenomenon, this article is very informative. It boils down to a warmer, muggier American climate, easily available sources of ice- frozen bodies of water in the 19th century or the greater availability of cooling appliances in American households- and a preference for water made “tasteless” by the cold. Europeans on the other hand, feel cheated to pay for a drink that has been watered down by ice and prefer water with a taste in the form of sparking mineral water. Ice never became widely fashionable, because it was a luxury affordable only by the wealthy who shipped it in from America.
Today ice is everywhere in America and free. No hotel can operate without an ice machine, because of, I theorize, the way Americans travel domestically. American vacations are often road trips, which would not be complete without a cooler of food and drink that requires fresh ice every day. Europeans have fewer and much smaller cars so vacation travel is often by air or rail, and bringing a cooler would be impractical.
When I first went to Europe nearly 30 years ago, I noted that a glass of cola had only an ice cube or two, but thought oh well, I guess that’s how it is here. I gave it a try, and slowly understood what the Europeans were talking about. A “cooled” beer had far more flavor than an ice cold one. I studied in Germany and learned that a Koelsch had a much different flavor than a Hefeweizen. Middle Easterners serve hot, sweet tea all day, and only the addition of mint in summer as opposed to say sage in the winter, would hint at the season. They claim that the hot tea has a more cooling effect than an ice-cold drink on a hot day.
So why does the ice question drive me crazy? It is emblematic of a mindset that has the potential to limit possibilities and keep a traveler from sampling what the destination has to offer. For me, the point of traveling is to experience something you can’t in your everyday life. You might not change your preference, and that’s fine. But wouldn’t it be a shame to forego something that you might enjoy even more? So order what the guy at the Stammtisch (the table reserved for the regulars) is having. Ask the waitress to bring you her favorite dish on the menu. Buy the guy next to you a round and have whatever he’s having, because this is how to experience, not simply visit, a country or region. I promise you will have a more memorable trip. Just recently, I was in New York in a Korean bistro. Honestly, I have never had Korean food before but I saw others drinking a bright pink drink, so I ordered it too. I don’t even know what’s in it besides strawberry and citrus peel, but it was refreshing. I’m glad I tried it.
That’s why I’m writing this blog. There are two things that broaden your horizons: reading and traveling. This won’t be a blog about what bag to take or which hotel in Edinburgh I like. This blog is about absorbing, observing and experiencing culture. So let’s go!
Ice and Wash Cloths 