Ice in Europe

This is, like tipping, one of the big cultural divides between the US and Europe.

Europeans don't like their drinks at room temperature in general, they enjoy them chilled (cold drinks obviously) rather than being contained in huge cups crammed full of ice. Soft drinks are often stored in a fridge, ice is available when ordering spirits but we don't need to have a whole glass of ice to chill it, a couple of cubes is sufficient and means that your drink doesn't become heavily diluted. I've never had a problem finding chilled water anywhere in Europe. Tap water might often be served without ice but simply ask for it when you order.

I don't like the fact that when I order a drink in the US it comes served in a huge cup full of ice, it's unnecessary. I also can't drink the tap water here in Orlando, it's foul, very sulphurous and even with a kilo of ice it's still unpalatable.

Culture, habit, cost; all of those are partial reasons. Europeans are much less likely to deviate from "the way it's always been", and they drink most of their liquids at temperatures that are warm compared to American tastes. they're not alone in this. Likewise, since that's the way they were raised, that's how they like it. Large refrigerators and freezers are not common outside of the USA except in larger, more expensive homes. Old houses don't have room for them, and many European homes have very small refrigerators as a result. Also, since they tend to shop daily, there's less need for them, and energy prices are higher so they make do with less refrigeration. This is one of the reasons that caves and cellars are used to help keep things cool. This is changing, but slowly, as consumerism makes inroads into tradition.

Americans are known for wanting cool drinks and ice. It's a bit of a joke outside the USA, especially in Europe. Ice machines in American hotels strike them as funny. If you live there for a while you adapt. When I came back from my first 4 years over there I couldn't stand ice in my drink; drinking room temperature Pepsi in California got me a lot of very strange looks.

Ha, Ha Emma! Touche! All a matter of perspective!
We were in Norway, Scotland and Ireland. With the current heat wave, I really needed the ice!

Traditio-o-o-o-n! Tradition!

Once upon a time, ice was a rare and precious commodity in Europe. It was harvested from ponds in New England, packed in sawdust, shipped to a port, where it was loaded into sailing vessels and sent across the wide ocean to Europe, where the rich could pay the big price to have a single cube added to their drinks in the summer time.

Nowadays, with ice machines cranking out endless quantities, we Americans indulge our desire for as much as we can take, then throw the rest away after we have sucked through a plastic straw, the liquid contents of the 24 oz cup. But in Europe, the tradition of the precious commodity survives.

"Without our traditions, our life would be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof."

Well, in Germany, it is considered unhealthy to drink ice cold drinks. That it is bad for your stomach. When my son was young, his pre-school would set the milk for lunch on the table in the morning so it would be room temperature.

All of the people I know have regular, large refrigerators, just not double wides. The days of tiny ones is pretty much history unless you are a student living in a studio apt.

Since there are no free refills, if you fill up a glass with ice cubes, Germans feel they aren't getting their moneys worth with the drink they purchased. Drinks are served chilled, not room temperature, but also not bitingly cold.

As for electricity being more expensive, I think those days are long past too. My monthly budget is 54€.

"since they tend to shop daily"

That may be a tendency, but I wouldn't take it too far as a real stereotype. The existence of all those Carrefour, Aldi, Tesco and Mercadona stores suggests there are plenty of Europeans doing a weekly big shop as well.

Perhaps it varies around European countries, but wherever I've been if you want more ice, just ask for it. There's no ration and even the famously "frugal" Catalans and Dutch wouldn't charge extra for additional frozen water.

I have had no issues with getting chilled water in Europe in restaurants. You just have to ask for it. Whether it is the expensive brand named stuff or simple tap water, it has never been an issue. I don't need ice if the water is cold to start with.

I do find it funny that when I eat at a fast food chain in Europe (yeah, I know, why would I ever do that, except sometimes you just have to) I always get exactly 4 ice cubes in my drink. Four. No mater what size sup it is served in. They will give you more if you ask, but always give you a strange look.

Look at it from the reverse. I've had winter visitors from Europe who could not believe (!?!) that in zero degree weather, Americans expect a drink to come in a cup full of ice, and think it's NORMAL! In summer, drinking ice cold beverages when its hot will make you sick. Cold water is bad for the throat. Everyone there knows that.

Anyway, why would you want to pay for a cup of soft drink, and get mostly ice? Letting yourself get rooked.

I've heard a number of reasons: old restaurants dont have space for big ice machines, and need what they can produce, for cooking, not wasted in a to-be-thrown-away, half-drunk glass of tap water. If you've ever worked in a restaurant, you know how big an industrial ice machine is - about twice the size of one of those hotel machines. They also consume a huge amount of electricity. So why put one in just to serve the eccentricities of the random American tourist?

I drink it however it comes, just as if it were in a plastic bottle in my daypack. Its not a hardship. Sometimes when the restaurant has experience with Americans they will bring ice without being asked, but its not the cultural norm.

I don't put ice in my wine, so I really didn't notice.

It is very easy to get used to drinks without ice. They come chilled. Not dilited by ice. I rarely use ice at all anyway and drink bottled water at room temperature when at home. It is a cultural difference and I can’t remember getting ice in a drink anywhere in Europe ever. And if you are injured and need some ice to resuce swelling, go to a bar and beg for some. I would not say ice is gold at all; it isn’t used or wanted in drinks. Just a cultural difference like not being served butter with bread in many countries.
Do not get dehydrated in Europe because you won’t drink watwr without ice.

I am not sure where the OP has been in Europe but I have been here 4 months now (9 countries) and never had a problem getting ice or cold water. Every bottle of water I ordered came very cold. If I wanted Ice most places have it and will bring it gladly. In Bulgaria, Istanbul and now in Greece ice is everywhere and can be seen on most tables in small buckets. Ice was available in Italy (I spent a month and a half there) but some small places didnt have much.

The key in Italy is this: if they have “ICED COFFEE” on the menu they have ice.

Now long ago this was a different matter and ice was more scarce for sure.

But if you order bottled water (like San Pelegríno or San Benedetto or any other local brand) it will come cold. (At least it has for me)

Greece has always been better about providing ice than the countries to the west, perhaps because in the old days it was hotter than most of the other places.

On my current trip through Hungary, Ukraine, Poland and Czechia, I've fairly often been asked whether I want ice for my water. Maybe 25% - 30% of the time. I always say "Yes" and tell them how much I appreciate it.

In summer, drinking ice cold beverages when its hot will make you
sick. Cold water is bad for the throat. Everyone there knows that.

What an interesting comment.

Fascinating, even.

@Bob, its hard to convey irony in a written post.

I don't put ice in my wine, so I really didn't notice.

DougMac - you are my hero.

drinking ice cold beverages when its hot will make you sick. Cold water is bad for the throat

If that were true I suspect every fast food restaurant in the US would have a parking lot full of sick people, who presumably could not call out for help.

I've heard a number of reasons: old restaurants dont have space for big ice machines, and need what they can produce, for cooking

Need ice 'for cooking'....huh?

wow lots of nit-picking here. Irony. I dont believe it makes you sick; but I've heard many Europeans (and some Americans) say that, especially relating to the throat, as a reason to avoid ice in drinks. One of those old-wives things like don't swim on a full stomach and wear a hat in winter or you'll get a cold. I ask people these kinds of things when I travel, or meet travelers here. Yes my mistake is over-generalizing.

Use ice in cooking - yeah, in food preparation to be more specific, as in keeping fresh fish cold, making pastry crusts, etc.

I noticed on our trip to Spain in May that the drinks would come with one or two very large cubes. Much larger cubes than traditional U.S. ice cubes. Basically the type of ice cube you get at an upscale bar here when you order a scotch and soda. I really liked that.

There is no cultural difference for me. Whenever I order mineral water in Germany which is now most of the time at a restaurant or some cafe, Konditerei, etc, I never ask for ice. First of all, it isn't done, plus, more importantly, I don't need it. If "they" can drink it without ice, then I had better too.

How do others respond to this cultural difference and why is ice like
gold?

Ice isn't like gold; that is YOUR point of view and perhaps others too; it is not universal. So I enjoy still water without ice and rather enjoy the change while traveling. Sparking water is served chilled; ice ruins it. Even at home, I never have ice in sparking water. In addition, it isn't like I want ice with my glass or bottle wine.

Also, since they tend to shop daily, there's less need for them, and
energy prices are higher so they make do with less refrigeration.

We shop daily too. We also don't have double door refrigerators so we buy the ingredients for dinner, for example, on our way home from the office.

In summer, drinking ice cold beverages when its hot will make you sick. Cold water is bad for the throat. Everyone there knows that.

I'm intrigued by this claim. How does drinking cold beverages on a hot day make you sick? Do you mean vomit or sick as in developing a fever? The worst that can happen from drinking an ice cold drink is "brain freeze".

I also don't agree with the assertion that Europeans are more likely to shop for groceries everyday. As someone else has already pointed out, the proliferation of supermarkets in Europe indicates that more people undertake a large weekly shop than those who shop daily. I've witnessed many French, Spanish, German's etc doing a weekly shop in a supermarket. People just don't have the time, these days both partners are often working and that leaves very little or no time to go shopping for provisions for that night's dinner. I'm afraid there's something of a quaint, romanticised view about how Europeans live their lives which is often far from reality.

Before I went to Germany, I had been told that "an ice cold beer" American style is not going to served to you. Fine, no problem.

When I was offered refreshments in German households, say a beer, I noticed it was never taken from the refrigerator. Fine, no problem. Germans said to me that "ice cold" beer kills the taste...true. It is only a cultural difference if you allow it to be. It's no problem doing without the ice.

I was told too that cold drinks are bad for the stomach.

Local beer, tap/still/ sparkling water are all fine at whatever temperature I am served. Our Ice Quest is always about chilling a bottle of sparkling wine. From champagne to Cremant to sekt, it is all better chilled. Here are the best options we have discovered to secure a bag of ice to chill wine:
1. Gas stations ( we have been known to take a combo of public transport and walking to find these)
2. Grocery stores ( sometimes you have to ask if they have anything “ in the back”)
3. Asking at the front desk of the hotel ( take a couple of large ziplock bags with you)
Once we resorted to buying a couple of giant bags of frozen peas. Yes. We were that determined. 🥂

JC, here in Italy there's also that belief that Ice cold drinks will make you sick... Even worse, air conditioning will make you sick too... If the air blows over you, you will get "cervicale", which from what I understand is like a stiff neck, and, not only that, AC can also give you diarrhea. Yeah...

We say we travel to experience the local culture. We want to be off the beaten path. We want to live like a local. BUT we do not want to be deprived of our American comforts. As far is ice, it is getting better. I can remember being in London in the late sixties and ice was unheard of. Everything was room temperature and beer was cellar temperature. Over the years I have read more than one article claiming that Americans drink their wine and beer too cold. And in someways I agree with that.

I find the phrasing of the question -- How do others respond to this cultural difference? interesting. I would like to think that I adapt to cultural differences rather than responding. Responding seems to be judgemental.

Well Frank, I find your assumption about me being judgmental interesting. Not sure how you arrived at that assumption, but I realize not everyone likes ice or wants ice in their water. I do. I’ve tried it warm, but find I don’t drink as much water if it is warm. I only want to live like a local to a point. Not willing to give up all my creature comforts.

"...beer was cellar temperature." When I arrived in Germany in the summer of 1971, this is exactly how I found beer served. It is still like that in Germany...good. And it should stay that way too !

Ugh warm beer?? Not for me!

This was true even 35 years ago when I took my first trip to Europe. It was so hot in Frankfurt and I was tired of buying sodas so I could have something cold. So I went into McDonalds and ordered their biggest cup full of only ice. They looked at me funny and could not understand why I only wanted the ice with no soda. Filled the cup with water and it was great. Put one down in the scrapbook of memories.

"As for electricity being more expensive, I think those days are long past too." Hmmm...generalizations can be tricky at times as electricity in Germany costs 4-5 times what it costs here.

I have also found ice to be scarce in many places in Europe. Even if they are able to bring you some it might be just a couple of cubes. It seems like just another cultural difference, plentiful ice is just not the custom. Starbucks is a good place to go for ice, a number of times we have just asked nicely and they have us some even without buying anything. Careful in German speaking countries because the word for ice cream in German is "eis" which sounds a lot like "ice" and can lead to confusion. I find the thing about warm beer in some countries to be overstated.

Ugh warm beer?? Not for me!

Not for me either but who's drinking warm beer? I've never been served warm beer in a pub, cellars are not warm, that's why beer is stored in them and when it's pumped up into your glass it's cool. Of course if you want a lagered beer then that will be served cooler.

This is one of the things we Brits had to deal with when we emigrated to Oz, where beer, wine, soft drinks and water is usually served teeth-shatteringly cold. I have never got used to that.

I will often specifically ask for my drink to be served without ice and this sometimes earns me a confused look. However, I personally find drinks served really cold lose their flavour (especially white wine) because the aromatic elements don't rise off the liquid.

I also found, on arriving, that the size of the drink is often masked by a glass full of ice. You're served a tall glass and it looks fine, but tip out the ice and you find you just paid for half a glass of OJ, with half a glass of water. If you're in no hurry to swig it down, you're soon drinking very diluted OJ, too.

Another reason I tend to avoid ice is hygiene. In some countries (experienced travellers will already know this of course) the ice you are served might be made from water that isn't 'safe' to drink. You might think a glass of Coke is a safe bet, even in that tiny village up in the mountains, but if they put ice in it, think again.

If I asked people if they prefer their wine served warm or cold, most would ask me what kind of wine.

The same goes for beer. Pilsner and lager are meant to be served chilled. Ale, bitter and stout are meant to be served at cellar temperature. Serving it cold kills the taste. Cellar temperature is not warm. It's not ice cold but it is not warm.

As far as ice goes it really depends on what you are used to. When I have wanted ice I've never really had a problem getting it. I just ask.

A little trick I use occassionally when unexpected warm weather hits in hotels without air conditioning... If you get a fan, ask for ice in a bowl. Then place the bowl in front of the fan and it will produce cool air.

Any German beer served, as far as I am aware of, be it black beer, dark beer, Altbier, Bock, ein Helles, pilsener, etc was always served at "cellar temperature." This is the way I have always had it in German households, taverns, and restaurants in big cities, villages, and small towns.....absolutely no problem drinking German beers in this way.

I don't put ice in my wine, so I really didn't notice.

You don't? Isn't that the newest trend, especially with canned rose? Why else would that woman in the cafe in France have out an ice cube in our glasses of rose on a warm day last April? Actually, the rose was really bad, and I don't think it was just because of the ice cube.
As for water, we always ask for tap water at restaurants in France, and it's always cold, with no ice. Then again, we've never gone there in the Summer.

While many of you are fine with chilled or room temp water, I'm with the OP here. I like ice water, with a lot of ice. I don't make a fuss in Europe when I just get cold water. I don't demand ice. I do want to correct something. Chilled water is not the same temp as iced water. Water with ice in it will be 32F. Chilled water will be more like 35-45F, and will get warmer as it sets. Many of you may not want your water at 32F but some of us do. Like the OP, I also tend to drink more of it when it's cold. Our home fridge ice maker is broken, and I have to remind myself to drink water. If we reliably had ice, I'd drink a lot more.

The drink temperature preferences probably have a lot to do with climate. Americans generally have longer, hotter summers and we need to cool off. We also had Prohibition and soft drinks that taste better cold. And blessed companies like Manitowoc that make good ice machines.

I cope with the ice deficiency in Europe by avoiding cocktails and soda, and sticking with chilled water, wine, and beer.

Diveloonie- do you remember that seen in Castaway when Tom Hanks was rescued and he was so grateful for extra ice on the plane home? That's us on the way home, right? In ice cold solidarity with you, dude.

I like ice water, with a lot of ice

Why would you have so much ice in your water? It'll only dilute it.

I like it watered down!

Can we all accept diversity in our ice usage? No need to abolish ice in my drinks.

Personally, I consider it a red flag when I read the label on a bottle of red and it says, "Serve chilled" ;-)

@ Karen-thanks for the support
As usual, we all have our preferences!

Why would you have so much ice in your water? It'll only dilute it.

I can't handle straight water. I have to dilute it otherwise it is too strong.

The only problem with lots of ice in water is that it eventually becomes just water and then I need more ice and then it becomes just water and then I need more ice.....It's a viscious circle.

No need to abolish ice in my drinks

Well, there's a movement in the US with the slogan: "Abolish ice." No, wait, that's "Abolish ICE." Never mind.

Well, there's a movement in the US with the slogan: "Abolish ice." No,
wait, that's "Abolish ICE."

And that too should never happen!! No way! :-)

Was in Lisbon last week during record breaking heat.
Wife brought Yeti with us. Hotel gladly filled with ice in morning before our days out,and before going to bed.
Fridge in room never worked! AARRRG!!
So ice was a HUGE plus.

I use ice in nothing in the USA or in Europe, so it doesn't bother me. Only exception is iced tea. I don't chill beer in the fridge.

If I am in a German household obviously as a visitor, am asked if I wanted a German beer as refreshment, and see that the bottle is taken from the cupboard, (this actually happened in Hamburg on my first trip), or even from a piece of furniture in the living room, not even the cellar, let alone the fridge, I am certainly not going to ask the host if he could stick it in the fridge, just to satisfy my expectation of getting a "cold beer" a la American. If they can drink it as is, so can I.

I'm a supertaster, and actually like how ice and cold cut back some of the more intense flavors in a drink.

Also: warm Diet Coke/Coca Cola Life is inherently nasty stuff.

This is one of the funniest threads that I’ve read in a long time ...
It’s a veritable “viscous circle ...”
And for what it’s worth, I’m not a fan of ice or ICE either!
😉

"Also: warm Diet Coke/Coca Cola Life is inherently nasty stuff."

Take out the word 'warm' and that sentence still makes sense.

Whats a supertaster?

A supertaster is someone who thinks diet Coke tastes super. (but only when it is ice cold)

This subject has been discussed here before .
i will answer as i did before.
Ice! Dae ye no ken wit yon stuff did tae the Titanic.
Btw, Pilser beer should be served at 6c,no colder no warmer, was in Plzen a few days ago geting the original served at the perfect temperature.

Supertaster- " a person who experiences the sense of taste with far greater intensity than average, with some studies showing an increased sensitivity to bitter tastes." per Wikipedia. It took me until my late 30s before I could really drink coffee because of the bitterness, and even then I have to add a fair amount of sugar or flavor syrup to make it tolerable. And have never managed to develop a 'proper' fondness for beer because of the bitterness of it. Or broccoli or cauliflower, which I regard with great suspicion to this date.

I'm back in this thread because I was looking at pictures of a Holiday Inn Express in Switzerland and THEY ACTUALLY HAD AN ICE MACHINE NEXT TO THE VENDING MACHINE and I though of y'all. And we're talking a hotel along a motorway that isn't exactly in a place well known to the North American hordes in general, so I guess it's either a common tour group hotel or the Swiss are coming around to other viewpoints.