Why is it the case a fountain beverage without ice feels like it’s missing something ? Why does ice “perfect” a fountain beverage, if you will? Have you ever seen an ad for Coca Cola that didn’t include ice in the cup? Or ice in the background ? Every fountain beverage dispenser has ice right smack in the middle of the soda dispensers. Why is there always ice ?! 

Here’s my theory : that ice is a symbol of human invention and progress . Before the modern refrigerator, there was no way for humans to procure ice. Heating water has always been easy for us : use fire . Chilling water , however , is a modern invention. We literally use electricity (energy) to make water colder . So every image of a beverage with ice is a symbol that we are on the cutting edge of human progress, and by extension, aesthetic enjoyment .