The Importance of Ice

In the early 19th century, ice would have been as fanciful as a unicorn. Tudor's innovation was to give bartenders ice for free so that they could test whether their clientele would like it. His cold cocktails were such a hit that New Orleans became not just an ice city, but a cradle of civilized drinking. In 1896, a deadly heat wave struck New York City and the mayor ordered hundreds of pounds of ice to be loaded on dozens of wagons. Many more died if not for swift thinking of a Police Commissioner who took action when no one else did.