ICEHOUSE

After a long weekend of drinking $7 cans of marginally cold Bud Light at Lollapalooza I felt like I needed to watch my wallet. The solution? ICEHOUSE. ICEHOUSE is "Ice Brewed Below Freezing™ resulting in the formation of actual ice crystals, delivering the bold, never watered down taste that you can enjoy each time you drink an ice cold ICEHOUSE". The website also added "p.s., ICE ICE ICE ICE ICE" after that sentence.

Honestly though, I subscribe to the "Roger Ebert school" of beer criticism - I judge each beer based on what it's trying to be, not on some abstract Platonic ideal of what the Good beer is. ICEHOUSE tries to be a solid beer for solid dudes - essentially an alcohol delivery system that won't set you back financially, will deliver an above average ABV, won't bother you with unfamiliar taste, and won't make you look like a pussy. It's fueled many a NASCAR race and basement high school banger - ICEHOUSE serves its purpose. Does it accomplish this purpose with the flair of a malt liquor like Private Stock? No. But it does exude a certain humble, Midwestern reliability, befitting of the Plank Road Brewery in Milwaukee where it is made. It tastes ok... like Miller with extra alcohol, which is exactly what it is. It doesn't have a skunky flavor and avoids the aluminum-like aftertaste of many of its direct competitors. At $5.99 a 12 pack, one could do worse. Once I've polished off this 12 pack I'll feel able to afford to review a craft brew or two. For now, I'll just sip my ICEHOUSE and reminisce about the glory that was watching Soundgarden perform "Black Hole Sun" live.