Bad Ideas in Brewing – Ice Cubes in Beer
Bad Ideas in Brewing – Ice Cubes in Beer
Hey, no one’s perfect…as we at American Craft Beer understand better than most.
That said, there are some brewing ideas out there that are insanely misguided. So welcome to another BAD IDEAS IN BREWING… And we’re blaming Gen Z for this one.
Here’s the deal…
We’ve never been big supporters of donut beers. We’re not big on Strawberry Cream Puff Ale either. We were part of the ‘resistance’ when it came to IHOP Pancake Stout and we’d drink a growler of Kool-Aid before we’d ever submit to an Oreo beer shake .
And we get that beer lovers can argue about just about anything—IBU levels, Hazy vs West Coast IPAs, or if adjunct lagers deserve more respect. But one thing most people agree on? Dropping ice cubes into beer is a bad idea.
Or at least, they used to.
A new survey by electronics company LG has found that a cool 30 % of consumers aged 18 to 35 now prefer their lagers and ales with ice. And for a generation that grew up with cold brew coffee and iced matcha, it might seem a natural move. After all, beer is just another beverage, so why not keep things chill?
Traditionalists, (including the American Craft Beer crew), are losing it. “Adding ice to beer is like throwing water on a campfire—you’re killing its essence,” said ACB founder Tom Bobak. “Every ice cube dilutes the carefully crafted balance of malt, hops, carbonation, and mouthfeel. What you’re left with is a watery, flat shadow of the beer intended.”
Still, for Gen Z drinkers who are less concerned with beer “rules,” ice has its appeal. It keeps a cheap lager cold, and it’s ultimately “Instagramable” as the newest online “beer hack.”
In a way, it mirrors a bigger generational shift: beer is less about reverence and tradition and more about personal preference.
If you can’t stand warm beer, though, there are better solutions—frozen glassware, koozies, or even reusable stainless steel “beer stones” that chill without watering down. However, some breweries, that better left unnamed, are leaning into the trend rather than fighting it and quietly testing beer served over ice.
So, is it a bad idea? For us, absolutely!
But for or Gen Z, maybe it’s a way to make beer fun again.
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That idea not a bad enough for you?
How about these?
BAD IDEAS IN BREWING – BEER MILKSHAKES
About the Author: American Craft Beer
