Ice Age

I was laying in bed the other day wondering ...where did ice come from? Not the ice you see during the winter (duhh!)..but during the hot days before electricity. Of course to find this answer I googled it.

When and how did ice come around? Can you imagine drinking a beer hot? They must have done that before ice was introduced..and that is just gross.

Frederic Tudor is the man to thank. He was known as the Ice King. I'll make this story short and sweet as possible. It took ol' Fred from 1805 to 1830s to make the idea work and profitable. He harvested ice from the north and shipped it around the country and even exported it to the Carribbean. They also floated huge blocks of ice down the river to haul it to various ice houses. He started by giving the ice away for free to show people how much better beverages were when cool. He also started teaching people how to make ice cream....they loved it..but needed ice to make it! He worked hard and died a rich man. The industry obviously floundered when electricity came into perspective and refrigerators and freezers became more economical. Still, pre-packaged ice is a big money maker each year. $2.5 billion to be exact. All because of the Ice King.

There is your history lesson for the day... or month... Pass it along while you and a friend are enjoying a nice cold drink during one of our hot (lovely) summer days.

Now, that does not look fun...to icy.