Why are Americans Obsessed with Ice?

[Szdfan]

This is true. Americans are obsessed with ice in their drinks in a way that other countries aren't.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTFfAoT1E/

Due to my German childhood, I have no issue drinking drinks at room temperature, yet apparently that's a weird thing to do.

[Ken]

This is true. Americans are obsessed with ice in their drinks in a way that other countries aren't.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTFfAoT1E/

Due to my German childhood, I have no issue drinking drinks at room temperature, yet apparently that's a weird thing to do.

It is true and there are probably three at least three reasons:

1. Refrigeration came first to the US long before it became common in many other countries. So Americans have had access to ice before most other countries.

2. Prohibition changed tastes and made the US more of a soft-drink and soda fountain country rather than a lukewarm beer in the local pub country. That is why most of the big international soft drink brands are American but not the beer brands.

3. Much of the US has a hotter climate than most of the rest of the developed world like northern Europe. Icy drinks are probably more refreshing in say the Texas heat than rainy Scotland. Houston, for example, is further south than Cairo Egypt and the same latitude as Houston would put you in the middle of the Sahara.

[barnhart]

I don't like all the ice in drinks, it hurts my teeth. One or two cubes is plenty. Cool from the tap is best.

[mike]

This is true. Americans are obsessed with ice in their drinks in a way that other countries aren't.

That's because ice cold drinks are really good. And because ice is so much easier to have around than it used to be. I remember growing up with ice trays in the freezer above the fridge, where it was pretty hard to get out just a couple of cubes without popping out the whole tray. But as of a couple years ago we not only have a fridge that dispenses ice from the outside, making it easy to fill a cup, but we also have a relatively cheap free-standing ice machine in our basement with a large hopper big enough to fill large thermoses or even a 5-gallon water jug with ice. Our boys who work in construction really use that stuff in the summer time.

Ice is a big part of how soft drink machines work; the ice hopper cools a plate through which the carbonated syrup is dispensed, chilling the drink, and the syrup ratio calculated a certain amount of dilution from the ice.

[QuietlyListening]

Not a fan of much ice if any in my drinks but my mom loved ice in her drinks and hubby likes it too. But he can drink it room temp also- well all but soda.

[JohnH]

Many Mennonite churches have an ice machine… which sees frequent use not just at funerals, weddings, and community suppers… if you stop by early enough on a hot summer day you might just see a few of your brethren filling up their thermoses and water jugs…

[barnhart]

Technology and climate.

[mike]

My father in law is a retired farmer and one of his measures of a well-served meal (at home or in a restaurant) is how the ice water is kept after. I guess you get that way from years of sweating out in the heat and looking forward to coming in to the house to get cooled down and refreshed.

[barnhart]

Technology and climate.

I will throw out another factor for consideration: government funding. The REA, part of the New Deal, put a lot of money into building infrastructure to put affordable electricity in hands of common folk.

[seinetsodumm]

Due to my German childhood, I have no issue drinking drinks at room temperature, yet apparently that's a weird thing to do.

I have found that at church fellowship meal, the amount of ice in the cup is a very accurate indicator of who filled the glass and where that person grew up (north vs south). Specifically, little to no ice almost always points to growing up in Pennsylvania, I've never seen anyone as stingy with ice as a person who came from Pennsylvania .