Carrybean, but it's OK to describe European beverages as "disgustingly tepid drinks" ??? That's more than just an observation, if you know can tell the difference.

Global warming?

Eureka! I think Americans fear full-bodied flavors - drinks (esp coffee), pasta sauce, salad dressing etc.- so everything needs to be diluted and any unusual ingredient needs to be removed.

Ice in summer is a luxury. Wealthy Romans had it brought down from peaks for their galas. Ice requires equipment and power. Americans need remember when the only ice available was pond ice delivered by the 'Ice Man'. Europe and other areas are still not up to the waste levels of the USA. Many Europeans consider cold water/ice water unhealthy. Commercial ice machines are a recent development. Re: Beer temps, An Englishman explained that beer is served at cool temperatures so that more can be drunk.

Yes, "burqua" girl - I'm SURE that's the reason!

"Ice requires equipment and power."

True. So I guess what you're saying GSteed, is that the developing nations in S.E. Asia and the Middle East, which never have a problem with the ice cold drinks in their little freezers and fridges in numerous little shops all over the country as far as I've ever been able to tell and/or experience, have LESS of a problem in figuring out how to economically power such equipment than the far wealthier Europeans? Interesting.

I think Girlspytravel is on to something regarding the intensity of flavors.

I've observed that the flavor of containerized beverages (except water and liquor) seems less intense in Europe than in the States. Not sure why.

So when an American adds ice to cool and dilute a drink in the US, the taste ends up being the same as an un-iced drink in Europe.

BTW, has anyone ever seen any data that verifies that cold drinks are unhealthy and hot drinks will cool you in warm weather?

In the UK, virtually every pub/bar will have an ice bucket in the bar for you to help yourself. Also when ordering a long drink or a short, they will ask if you want ice or lemon.

Gee, I don't like ice in my cold drinks. Does this mean that I will have to move out of the USA? Darn!


Missypie, it is also interesting how things are named in different parts of the US, I was brought up using the term "wash rag", now where did that come about! They weren't rags, lol.

>go get one of your nice room-temp. cans of Coke that you can get everywhere else.
That the point MCD of Germany is a german company and they'd better do business as the customer wants it ;-). Which means 90% of the clients don't want ice weather it's summer or winter. Those are the rules and they better obey them I'm drinking 25C/77F cold Pepsi while I'm writing this...

Really good question, SeaUrchin. We called them that too and I never knew why. Although with my frugal mother who never threw anything away, some of them ended up being appropriately named.

Yes, my mom calls them wash rags, too. Maybe that gives us a clue - albeit a potentially distasteful clue - to the origins.

Last year I had exchange students from Germany and Thailand. The German did not use ice and the Thai could not get enough.

My other european exchange students told me that I am getting cheated here in the US. I am getting less of the drink when I get ice in the drink. Last year when I was in Paris and after a long day I decided to stop at a McDonalds to get a coke with a lot of ice to cool me down. I asked for a coke with a lot of ice. the girl only put a very small scoop of ice in the cup and then set the cup on the coke despencer and push the button. When she gave me the cup it was empty almost two inches from the top. In this case I was not cheated on coke, I was, or everyone in France, is cheated on ice. The servings on the McDonals coke despensers are designed to despence a premeasured amount.

this is all very silly. there is clearly no notion of one way it SHOULD be. and i don't really understand all of the notions of "adapting". if an ice loving american wants to go to europe and it makes him feel more european and culturally sensitive to drink an ice-free drink then go ahead but i don't see the point. just do as you prefer. if you can't get what you want, then you adapt. i would do the same anywhere.

it is not difficult to get ice in most places in europe. just ask if this is what you want. it's equally usually very easy to get a drink in the US with no ice. just ask.

"We should just accept that things in Europe are different than at home and go with the flow."

Tracy, I would agree with you if I were visiting Europe in a social context - i.e., in a private home, I would be being rude to ask my host for things not on the table or not offered to me. The food and drink is not supposed to be the main consideration in such situation, but rather the company of my hosts.

But in a business transaction - and most tourists deal mainly with Europeans in terms of business transactions - it is normal to make inquiries as to what products or services are on offer by the vendor. It would hardly be a service to a vendor for one to start making unverified assumptions, such as to assume that because one can't find a clothing item in x size on the rack, that this means that the Europeans never wear size x, and thus one should simply put up and shut up. Too often, a closed mouth means also a closed purse. Would that really be the ideal scenario?

Agreed, when things aren't available, it is probably in one's best interest to deal with minor disappointments stoically. But this is quite different from taking as gospel the notion that Europeans don't value change, even change suggested from without.

j_999_9, hot tea raises your core temperature, indicating to your hypothalamus that you're hotter than normal, which makes your blood vessels dilate and makes you sweat more, thus increasing your body cooling. But acc to the laws of thermodynamics, the amount of extra cooling won't be enough to offset the heating-up from the tea. That said, in the Middle East and North Africa people have been drinking hot tea to cool down for ages. 40 degrees in the shade is not uncommon.

Well, walk, we'll have to agree to disagree here-soft drinks, which are originally American products, are INTENDED to be served very cold, and soft drinks from a fountain, are intended to be served with ice-they have a Coke/7up/sprite what-have-you syrup that is mixed to get the right flavor-and the right flavor does not come about except WITH ice. You can debate whether British ale should be colder, or tap water should be served with ice-that is a cultural difference-but not soft drinks-and I don't see that problem with the room-temp Cokes anywhere BUT in Europe.

well, girlspytravel, it's true that Americans like food and drink in general to be diluted. All the sickly sweet indistict sauces/condiments on food don't count as flavor. Why do you think "American" coffee at Starbucks is just espresso and water?

SeaUrchin, you are so right. Its interesting how things can be called different things in different parts of the country. I too was brought up calling them "wash rags". Another thing my parents always said was "supper" as opposed to "dinner". I've let that slip once at work and I do recall being called lovely descriptive words like "hillbilly" and "hick"!

Tracy

That "burqa" must be knotted a little tight there, eh?