America's Love For Ice Is Almost As Old As The Country Itself

Everyone's got their opinion on which shape of ice is superior. But whether it's cubed, crushed, nugget-shaped, or shaved, the main consensus, at least in the United States, is that ice is necessary for a good drink. In a 2020 survey conducted by OnePoll for Bosch, researchers found that some Americans consume as much as 116 glasses of ice per month and 56% of Americans refuse to drink water unless it's been properly chilled. Americans can blame their fixation on Frederic "The Ice King" Tudor, a 19th century millionaire who monetized one of his local area's greatest resources by harvesting and shipping ice.

Americans were by no means the first people to harvest and utilize blocks of ice, but they certainly have a reputation for being the most ice-obsessed. As America's fascination with ice soared during the 19th century – and the country's population boomed thanks to the huge number of immigrants moving to the U.S. – demand for ice significantly increased. By the turn of the 20th century, it was more common to find an icebox filled with ice in an American household than it was to find a home without one. This obsession has lasted till the present day with many American homes having some form of ice on hand.

Ask for a glass of water in most European countries and odds are the waiter will deliver a small, room-temperature glass. Ask for a glass of water in the United States and you'll be presented with a tall glass loaded to the brim with ice and water. In some ways, this is thanks to Frederic Tudor. Back in the 19th century, Tudor introduced ice cubes to the market at a hefty price. Ice soon became synonymous with indulgence and prosperity; it was a highly sought commodity for those living the "American Dream." 

Thanks to improvements in technology, natural ice was slowly superseded by artificial ice during the 20th century. As artificial ice production methods became more efficient, the price of ice plummeted. What had once been expensive and scarce became cheap and widely available. Despite this, the demand for ice remained high in the U.S.

In modern times, you'll find ice everywhere. Americans agonize over choosing which type of ice to add to cocktails and can't imagine drinking a Diet Coke without pouring it over ice. We love to slurp blue raspberry ICEES (which are basically just ice and syrup) at the movie theater and drink iced coffees all 12 months of the year. So, next time you improve your drink by adding spherical ice, rest assured you're taking part in a thriving American tradition.