Where to Get Emergency Ice for Christmas

When making Christmas shopping lists and double-checking them, I often forget to account for ice, which makes a lot of sense. Depending on where you are, the ice probably won’t be your focus in the days leading up to Christmas, especially if you’re shoveling snow, driving through the snow, or just looking at the snow.

But you need ice for Christmas (both afternoon and eve). You need ice for shaking cocktails, making iced tea (or any other iced drink), chilling champagne, filling coolers, or if you’re fun and imaginative, keeping a caviar or shrimp cocktail at just the right temperature.

Unfortunately, there is no way to make ice instantly, and it takes several hours in the freezer for these water molecules to align into a solid crystal. You can go buy ice, but many shops are closed most of the day or all day. But you know who is (probably) not closed? McDonald’s. I say “probably” because almost all restaurants are franchised, so it’s not a guarantee, but I ate enough McDonald’s sausage biscuits on Christmas morning to be optimistic. (The company rep also told the female pioneer that most establishments with golden arches would be open, and who doesn’t trust a company rep?)

Anyway. Most of these franchises sell ice packs for less than two dollars, so you can quickly get to the driveway for much-needed frozen water and then head back home to shake up some ice-cold shakes or just grab some tea. If you need good ice (pebbles), order the local Sonic, but be sure to go on Christmas Eve. Most Sonic Drives are open on the evening before the birth of our lord and savior, but not on the blessed day itself.

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