To a certain degree, the ice can retain heat, so you would want it frozen in a cooler about 4 hours before you want it, and then poured in whiskey when you want it. Since it does not melt, nor does it react with the liquor, it does not dilute or affect the natural aromas and flavors of whiskey. The physics of a whiskey ice cube is actually pretty solid -- heat transfer. When you drop a piece of ice into whisky, the hot whiskey transfers heat energy into a colder cube, cooling down the whisky. Ice works in a similar fashion, except it gets warmer and melts - it dilutes the whisky. Ice cubes, being solid rocks, do not return to liquid status if heated, so they will not dilute whiskey in your glass as they heat up. Also, their toughness means the stone particles are not mixed in with the whiskey, so they will not alter the flavor. Because of their hardness and density, whiskey ice cubes take longer than ice to chill down enough for adding to your drink - this means that instead of just throwing it into a freezer beforehand, youall need to keep it frozen beforehand. There are various materials for ice cubes, with ceramic cubes being a relatively newer product in recent years. Ceramic ice is made by combining high heat and pressure, with a vastly different performance than conventional ceramic. It is stronger due to its higher pressure. He can recycle it a lot for a long time. Although it has no glazing, it is plain mash, but due to high-temperature kilning, the clay has turned into porcelain, which does not absorb water. Smooth edges and corners, it is not easily damaged when you drop a cup. These are all reasons for making ceramics for making your own iced tea cups.