It’s that time of week when we answer the questions you’re too drunk or shy to ask…This question comes from Paul: Is there a reason some bars use different ice in their drinks? I was recently at a bar that had cracked ice which I found a little disgusting, and I’ve also seen crushed ice. What’s the advantage for the different kinds?Like most things for the bar, there’s a reason for different kinds of ice, and then there’s just plain affectation. A bigger frozen mass of ice leaves something frozen in your drink longer; smaller ice cubes — and shaved ice especially — have more surface area exposed to the warmer liquid and melt more quickly. Crushed ice in a drink works best in the summer time for smaller drinks that have mostly spirits and little or no mixer. Think about a drink like an old-fashioned or a mint julep, even a daiquiri. The shards of ice make an instant adult slushy — and water down an 80-proof spirit to a more palatable alcohol percentage.Hand-cracked ice is disgusting, you’re right, unless you’re doing it at home for your friends. Believe me, at certain moments of the evening, the bartender’s hands are two of the dang dirtiest things in a bar (that’s another post). As to the further adventures in the shape of ice, this is one of those loaded questions. It’s cool if you think it’s cool. I just think it’s another reason some high-end cocktail lounges bore me, especially when it means that I get my drink in a less timely fashion. I know of a bar in Chicago that prides itself on how many different kinds of ice it serves, including a long rectangle that fits in the Collins glasses. I thought it was cool for all of ten seconds, mostly because I was sitting in a purple velvet chair with a sexy, six-foot-high back. That chilly brick of ice was mighty annoying when I tried to sip the last third of my drink. With ice, as with most things, form should follow function. The cubes that come from the remedial version of an ice machine you see in most establishments are perfectly fine. Got a question for the bartender? Email me at msavarino@seattleweekly.com.