In the tropics, ice in your beer is normal (Ice cubes in beer: is this popular pub order atrocious – or ingenious?, Pass notes, 2 September). In Vietnamese restaurants, servers wander around taking partially melted ice blocks out of your glass and replacing them with new ones. Of course, this is fine with low-cost options such as 333, Bia Saigon and even Tiger. The beer stays cold, and in any case it is drunk rather quickly with little chance of any meaningful dilution. Would I put ice in a pint of Pasteur Street Jasmine IPA or Heart of Darkness Dream Alone pale ale? I would not. But would I shun and shame someone who does? Certainly not.
Chris Howe
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
• I enjoyed your article on ice cubes in beer and its apparent origin in France. Well, I can attest that, while serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand more than 40 years ago, you would see locals in bars and restaurants (even in the most remote parts of the country) doing the same. So, I’d say the origin is up for debate.
Curt Borden
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, US
