Ice Cold Drinks in Paris

Last Updated:

7/11/2025

As the warm weather returns to Paris, we pay tribute to Forest Collins, a beloved luminary of the Parisian food and drink world who passed away earlier this year, by revisiting one of her characteristically astute and witty takes on a common expat lament: France’s strange aversion to H2O’s solid incarnation. The savvy writer behind the Paris cocktail blog 52 Martinis, was central to shaping Paris’s cocktail scene and fostering its community. She is sorely missed.

As an American expat in Paris, the question I get most often is: What do you miss most about home? Honestly, this question usually stumps me.

While, of course I miss friends, they come frequently for visits, so it’s less of an issue. In a pinch I can find a reasonable substitute for many of the readily available items from the U.S. that I might miss. If not, said stream of friends usually keep me in a steady supply of goods and sundries that evade me here. But, there’s one thing I can’t ask even my nearest and dearest to lug over in a suitcase: Frozen water. Yes, you heard correctly. The thing I miss most about the US is ice.

Left: Haussmann streets on a Parisian street; Right: a glass of ice water on a wooden table — Top: photo by Ibrahim Boran
Above left: photo by Svetlana Gumerova; Right: photo by Giorgio Travato

When I’m back home, I get a special thrill out of sitting down to a table from the grungiest of roadside diners to the fanciest of upscale eateries and immediately being served a large glass of water full of sparkly, playfully tinkling, cold-making ice! While, in France, you’re lucky to get a small votive candle holder full of warm tap water after asking…twice.

And, this epidemic goes beyond commercial establishments into the very hearts of homes nationwide.

On trips to Seattle, I play with my friends’ automatic ice makers, spewing out cube after magically chilly cube, delighted by this largesse. In France, you’d be lucky to find a freezer containing ice trays. You’re even luckier if they’ve been filled prior to putting them in. My least favorite are the homes that use those thin blue disposable plastic bubble-infested bags for home ice-making. I find these about as about as effective as scrunching up a plastic sack from the grocery store, immersing it in a bowl of water and sticking it in the freezer.

Back when I was still living in the US, I had a girlfriend who had spent a few years in Paris. She was my go-to girl for all things Euro. I observed her foreign affectations and dreamed of the day that I, too, would be an expat. Then one evening we went for drinks. She ordered hers with “no ice.” How very European of her! And, suddenly I saw a possible glitch in my dreams of becoming Frenchified. I can’t envision a life without ice. I can’t envision a life without cocktails. And, a proper cocktail depends on ice for it very existence!

Left: A Parisian park in the summertime with people dressed in summer clothes loitering on the grounds; right: the bar area of a cocktail bar in Paris. — left: photo by Nella N Wou; right: photo by Lucas Calloch

Having lived here for years now, I enjoy learning about and trying to integrate into French culture. But, I still simply can’t understand the French aversion to ice.

A joke I heard recently:

“Why don’t the French make ice?”

“Because they can’t agree on the recipe.”

After many years here, I still can’t get to the bottom of this deep-seated aversion. Perhaps it’s linked with their distrust of air-conditioning.

So, what’s an all American ice loving, cocktail sipping girl to do in Paris? I’ve been known to take my love of ice to extremes and pack it in insulated bags to bring along to others’ homes and gift people with ice trays. This evening I’m going to the home of some French friends for dinner. They’ve asked me to make cocktails for the occasion. Of course, I emailed them yesterday and told them to start making ice.

Related Links:

Explore more of Forest’s wonderful knowledge and writing about Paris cocktail bars at her excellent website, where you can read about the best cocktail bars in Paris and more of the wealth of knowledge she so generously shared.
Cold drinks may be hard to come by in Paris but fortunately ice cream is not!
There is no place better to enjoy a cold drink on a hot summer’s day than on one of the best terraces in Paris.

Written by Forest Collins for HIP Paris. Looking to travel? Check out Plum Guide and our Marketplace for fabulous vacation rentals in Paris, France or Italy. Looking to rent long or short term, or buy in France? Ask us! We can connect you to our trusted providers for amazing service and rates or click here. Looking to bring France home to you or to learn online or in person? Check out our marketplace shop and experiences.

WRITTEN BY

Forest Collins

Forest Collins was a celebrated American writer and a pivotal figure in Paris’s vibrant food and drink scene, who passed away earlier this year. As the visionary behind the widely acclaimed 52 Martinis blog, she became the foremost authority on Parisian mixology, passionately promoting the city’s burgeoning cocktail culture. Her extensive work included the Paris Cocktail Talk podcast, contributions to numerous international publications, and her book Drink Like a Local: Paris. Beyond her influential expertise, Forest was cherished for her exceptional wit, generous spirit, and remarkable ability to foster a close-knit community, leaving an indelible mark on Paris that continues to inspire.