Whiskey stones. Chilling rocks. Sipping stones. These ingenious little creations go by many names.

 

And despite their designation as “non-essential doo-dad that takes up drawer/freezer space,” people love these things.

 

In our humble opinion, whiskey stones are more of a must-have than coasters — if you had to pick between the two. (No one winds up using the coasters at our house, anyway.)

 

Whiskey stones will cool your drink to 15 or 20 degrees below room temperature and keep it there for up to one hour without diluting the taste. And they are not porous, so they do not retain order (or coodies), though they do need a good rinsing after usage. Importantly, they also won’t — or shouldn’t — scratch your glasses, either.

 

Just pop them in the freezer two hours before usage.

 

Made of soapstone or granite, they can be used in hot drinks, too. Who knew?

 

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