Rocks Don't Melt, Nor Do Their Fans.

WHEN whiskey stones first showed up on store shelves five years ago, they seemed destined to be another fleeting oddity, perhaps an upscale version of the Pet Rock fad of 1975. After all, it's tough to persuade drinkers they need soapstone rocks -- stored in the freezer -- to chill their whiskey instead of ice, which eventually dilutes it. Purists think single malts should be savored neat or with a splash of water. The stones have never caught on in bars, either. ''It's idiotic,'' said Dale DeGroff, a noted mixologist who is partial to Glenlivet 12 with big square ice. ''You won't see them at the bar unless they are making fun of them.'' [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]