Proof, water, and ice

Proof is twice ABV in the U.S. Higher proof is not a moral win. It is more alcohol in the same sip. Ice melts. That is how an Old Fashioned opens up. Bad ice tastes like the freezer. Ask for a big cube if the bar has one; it is not snobbery, it is dilution control. We show ABV when a source gives it. We do not guess.