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Icehouse Beer is America's first domestic ice beer, brewed by Miller Brewing Co. and launched in 1993. It is an adjunct lager with a 5.5% alcohol content. The beer is brewed, fermented, and then its temperature is lowered to below freezing before aging, which imparts a smooth taste and a slightly higher alcohol content. The beer has a light golden colour with a thick, white, foamy head, and a mild bitterness from the hops used. The hops in the beer are barely present, except for the subtle spice and citrus notes in the finish. The overall taste is light and refreshing, with some mild hints of hops.
What You'll Learn
Icehouse beer is made with hop extract
Icehouse Beer, America's first domestic ice beer, is made with hop extract. The beer is produced by the Miller Brewing Company, which is owned by the Molson Coors Brewing Company. Icehouse Beer was first introduced in 1993 and has since become a popular choice among beer lovers.
The unique brewing process of Icehouse Beer involves chilling the lager to below freezing temperatures before aging, creating ice crystals that impart a smooth taste and slightly higher alcohol content of 5.5% ABV. The beer has a light golden appearance with a thick, white, foamy head. It offers a combination of sweet and roasted malt flavours with hints of caramel and corn.
The use of hop extract in the brewing process contributes to the subtle spice and citrus notes found in the finish of the beer. The hops are carefully chosen by the brewmasters to provide a layered flavour without overwhelming bitterness. The hop extract contains pure resin and essential oils, extracted using an intelligent CO2 process. While not as bold as real hops, it effectively enhances the aroma and flavour of the beer.
Icehouse Beer is known for its easy drinkability, with a light-bodied, crisp, and dry finish. It pairs well with various foods, including barbecue, smoked meats, spicy dishes, and creamy cheeses. The low alcohol percentage and mellow bitterness make it a perfect choice for lazy days and fun nights with friends.
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It has a unique brewing process
Icehouse Beer is America's first domestic ice beer, and its unique brewing process is what sets it apart from other beers. This traditional lager is brewed and fermented like other adjunct lagers, but it undergoes a special process just before the aging stage. The beer is chilled to below freezing, which gives it a smooth texture and a slightly higher alcohol content than other premium lager brands. This process also creates ice crystals, which contribute to its unique flavour profile.
Icehouse Beer has a light golden body with a large, foamy head. Its aroma is light and faint, with notes of lager tartness, corn, malt, and a slight metallic scent. There are also hints of dry cereal grass, hay, and mint. The mouthfeel is soft and fizzy, with a bubbly sensation from the carbonation.
The taste of Icehouse Beer is typical of a cheap lager, with sweet grain and corn flavours balanced by a sweet malty backbone of bready malts and caramel. There are subtle spice notes, as well as hints of tortilla and pepper. The malt flavour is complemented by a subtle citrus note, such as lime or lemon. The bitterness from the hops is mild and well-balanced.
Icehouse Beer is made with water, barley malt, yeast, hop extract, corn syrup, dextrose, and maltose. The dextrose and maltose enhance the corn flavour, while the barley malt gives it its distinctive malty character. The hops contribute subtle spice and citrus notes, and their bitterness is carefully chosen to create a layered flavour. The exclusive barley malt is sourced from select farmers and is one of the secrets to the Miller Brewery's success.
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It's an adjunct lager
Icehouse Beer is an adjunct lager, first launched in 1993 and is known as America's first domestic ice beer. It is brewed and produced by the Miller Brewing Co., owned by the Molson Coors parent brand.
Adjunct lagers are light-bodied, pale, fizzy lagers that gained popularity in America after Prohibition. They have low bitterness, thin malts, and a moderate alcohol content. The focus is on mass production and consumption, rather than flavour, and adjunct cereal grains like rice and corn are used to cut flavour and costs.
Icehouse Beer is brewed using a unique process. It is brewed and fermented in the traditional way, but before aging, it is sent to a cold chamber with a temperature below freezing. This forms ice crystals, giving the beer its unique taste and properties. The beer has a light golden, shiny appearance, with a clear texture and polished look due to the layers of filtration. It has a thick, white, foamy head that dissipates quickly, leaving a lace and collar around the glass rim.
The aroma is grainy, with hints of corn syrup and a slight bitterness from the hops. There are also notes of freshly crushed pepper and sour citrus fruits like lemon or lime. The taste is a unique combination of sweet, grainy, and corny flavours, with a mild bitterness from the hops. It is an easy-to-drink beer with a low alcohol percentage and mellow bitterness.
Icehouse Beer is perfect for lazy days and fun nights with friends, and its unique flavour profile and subtle taste make it a popular choice for parties. It pairs well with various foods, including smoked and barbecued meats, grilled fish, spicy dishes, and creamy cheeses.
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It's made by Miller Brewing Co
Icehouse Beer is made by Miller Brewing Co., which was founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1855 by German brewer Frederick Miller. The company was purchased by South African Breweries in 2002 for $3.6 billion in stock and $2 billion in debt, forming SABMiller.
In 2006, SABMiller purchased the Sparks and Steel Reserve brands from McKenzie River Corporation for $215 million. Three years later, on July 1, 2008, SABMiller formed MillerCoors, a joint venture with rival Molson Coors, to consolidate the production and distribution of its products in the United States.
Miller Brewing Co. has been in the business for nearly 170 years and is known for its hospitality and, of course, its ice-cold beer. The company offers tours of its Milwaukee Brewery, where visitors can learn about the brand's rich history and enjoy a cold one in the Visitor Center, Bavarian-style Miller Inn, or outdoor Beer Garden.
Icehouse Beer, first launched in 1993, is known for its unique brewing process, which involves lowering the temperature to below freezing right before aging. This imparts smoothness and a slightly higher alcohol content (5.5% by volume) compared to other regular premium beer brands. With its blend of humour and high-energy excitement in its marketing campaigns, Icehouse has positioned itself as the go-to beer for winding down and pre-game occasions.
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It's got a smooth, dry, crisp finish
Icehouse Beer is a medium-bodied American-style lager with a 5.5% ABV. It is brewed for a bold, never-watered-down taste, with low to moderate bitterness, a medium body, and a smooth, dry, crisp finish.
The beer is made with water, barley malt, yeast, hop extract, and corn syrup. The barley malt gives the beer its malty backbone, manifesting as bread and caramel. The corn syrup brings added sweetness that cuts through some of the bitterness from the hops and makes a balanced flavor profile.
The hops in the beer are barely present except for the subtle spice and citrus notes in the finish. The bitterness from the hops lingers on the tongue, but the sweet taste of the malts cleans the palate and balances out the bitterness, resulting in a smooth, dry, and crisp finish.
The overall mouthfeel of the beer is light, clean, and crisp, making it a very easy-to-drink beer. The unique brewing process, which involves lowering the temperature to below freezing before aging, imparts smoothness and a slightly higher alcohol content than other regular premium beer brands.
Icehouse Beer is a great choice for those looking for a refreshing and easy-to-drink lager with a smooth, dry, and crisp finish.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Icehouse beer does contain hops. The hops are carefully chosen by the brewmasters at the Miller Brewing Co. and they bring in a subtle bitterness that is not too strong but leaves a very layered flavor in the beer.
Icehouse is an American adjunct lager with a 5.5 percent alcohol content. It is made by Miller Brewing Co., owned by the Molson Coors Brewing Company. It is known for its unique brewing process, which involves lowering the temperature of the beer to below freezing before aging to create ice crystals, resulting in a smoother taste and slightly higher alcohol content.
Icehouse beer is widely available across the United States. You can find it at local liquor stores, gas stations, supermarkets like Tesco and Walmart, and online through various distributors.