THE ICE TEASE

While we Americans use a lot of ice in our drinks, many countries around the world not only forgo the ice, they don't even chill their beverages. Pubs in Britain are famous for warm beer. Italy usually serves soft drinks and alcoholic beverages without ice to avoid watering them down. Japan will only put one or two ice cubes in the glass. When traveling, remember to order drinks cold, chilled or with a glass of ice on the side, but only in a country where you're sure of the water safety. If you can't drink the tap water, you can't use the ice, either. If in doubt, go without.