How Ice (and Slurpees) Made Life Worth Living: A Fascinating History of Frozen Water

Ice makes some of life’s chief pleasures possible, from Martinis to oysters on the half shell. Here, the lore behind the luxury. Plus: a recipe for a magical-ice-cube cocktail.

GET THAT ICE Find the recipe for Gin and Tonic With Color-Changing Ice below.Photo: F. Martin Ramin/ The Wall Street Journal, Styling by Mieko Takahashi

HOW THANKFUL are you for frozen water? It may be difficult, now, to conceive what a luxury it once was to possess such a thing—and how many treats we now take for granted that it made possible. But a pair of new books are here to help us do just that.

“In the age of refrigeration, ice really is an inexpensive luxury,” said Amy Brady, author of “Ice: From Mixed Drinks to Skating Rinks—A Cool History of a Hot Commodity (Jun. 6, G.P. Putnam’s Sons).

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