How to keep drinks cold, prior to serving, without air conditioning. Of course, there is a limit to how well this works, but here goes.
Have a slab of marble or a marble-topped serving table, side-board, etc.
Put the drink to be cooled in a SILVER pitcher.
The coolness of the marble transfers to the pitcher, thereby cooling the drinks.
(It pays to tour Southern mansions.)
Thank you, Jemian!
I had granite countertops once and couldn’t set my coffee cup on them because the coffee cooled so fast.