In several ways, Gen Z hasn’t really been an impressive drinking generation. Specifically, they’re not drinking very much these days. (As a resident Gen Z-er here at InsideHook, I say that the people saying these things just aren’t hanging out around the right crowds.) They’re also involved in some drinking trends that cast quite a bit of judgment…such as loading up their beers with ice.
In a recent survey conducted by LG Electronics, nearly one in three 18- to 35-year-olds who participated in the survey said they prefer ice in their beers as a way to give them an extra chill. The survey was specifically for British participants in an attempt to learn more about their drinking habits, but there are lots of other viral discussions about doing this across Instagram and TikTok.
So we put it to the test and sampled beer with some ice using three different kinds of brews. Is Gen Z onto something? Or have they tainted their reputation by putting together an incredibly disastrous combination?
The Pilsner
The first beer we tried with ice was a pilsner from Brooklyn Brewery. With notes that are “bright, golden and strikingly refreshing,” according to its website, we were eager to see how something with such a light, yet flavorful, tasting profile would pair with some crisp ice.
To note: Each round of our testing had a good mix of experienced drinkers based on their age, as well as a range of those who preferred beer as a drink of choice versus those who don’t usually drink beer. As our small group of roughly 10 participants went around to taste their pints, we also accounted for dilution time: Beer that sat in ice longer was naturally going to taste a little bit more watered down.
For those of us who maybe don’t have quite a refined beer palate, it was initially pretty difficult to taste much of a difference. “It tastes like beer….that’s slightly colder than usual. It doesn’t taste any different to me,” said one participant. “I don’t know if I’d be able to pinpoint a difference between this or just like a cold beer had you put it in another glass and I was tasting it blindfolded or something,” said yours truly. (After trying a cold bottle with no ice, however, I did revoke this statement. Most people who tried both side-by-side were able to taste the difference.)
For others, the taste difference was immediately noticeable: Our editor-in-chief Mike Conklin, while acknowledging that it does have a nice, pleasant and crisp quality, said the ice makes some of the beer’s most defining qualities go away. “This is a Brooklyn Pilsner, and it’s very bready and a little hoppy, and it’s kind of got some creamier mouthfeel, and that all just goes away,” he said. “You’re basically taking a decent beer and making it a shitty beer. You’re basically taking a good pilsner and turning it into a Bud Light, which, you know, that’s fine if that’s what you’re into.”
He wasn’t the only one, either. “I guess it’s a little crisp and refreshing, but I don’t know, for like five seconds before the ice melts and waters it down more,” one participant said. “Dude, that’s gross,” said another.
Overall, this one had a pretty clear consensus: If you want this beer to have a nice, cold, crispy taste to it, just refrigerate it beforehand or put it in a frosty cup. The ice definitely provides that refreshing cold taste, but it’s not worth doing unless you’re intentionally looking for a beer that tastes a little more watered-down. You’re going to lose a lot of the tasting notes that really make the beer what it is, but like one participant said: “If I had to drink 10 beers, maybe I’d put it on ice and it’d go down smoother.”
The IPA
Generally, the ice had the same effect on the Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA: The ice pretty much diluted most of the significant tasting notes. It ultimately came down to how much it affected the taste of the hoppiness.
The results here were pretty split: Some thought that this did dilute the taste of the hops, and that adding the ice made it taste a little bit more like a regular pale ale. “I could certainly see people really liking that effect, but if you’re buying a beer because you like a hoppy IPA, this just makes it a little worse than when you bought it,” said one participant. “I don’t love IPAs, but I drink them sometimes, and I feel like it’s kind of nice with a little water-downness to it,” said another participant. One editor also said: “That’s not bad…I quite like this, but I might like it more without ice.”
Other partakers thought adding the ice actually brought out more of the hops. As someone who’s not an IPA fan, I was hoping the ice would bring down the hoppiness. However, I felt that the ice really just made it taste like watered-down hops — the tasting notes were gone, and it just tasted kind of…dirty. I wasn’t alone, either. “The hoppiness is still there,” said one participant. “It’s a little muted. It’s not as hoppy as it would be, but it’s still hoppy. It’s all the other notes that are kind of watered down and diluted.” As another person said, “It definitely still is hoppy, and I think it does make it more prominent as an aftertaste.”
Each side of the answer also had a range of people who did and didn’t like IPAs, so it didn’t exactly make a difference whether or not someone who loves them or doesn’t like them at all thought it tasted better or worse. Granted, those who said they loved IPAs also said they wouldn’t add ice to them. It could maybe taste better with ice for those who only drink them occasionally, but I don’t think anyone who doesn’t like them is eager to crack one open and pour it over some ice anytime soon.
The Stout
Yes, we broke a cardinal rule and poured Guinness over ice. But there are some caveats here, so hear me out. We used Guinness Extra in a bottle because we wanted to try ice with a stout, and frankly, this was the only stout we found in a nearby store. Basically, everyone who participated recognized that this couldn’t compare to the deliciousness that comes straight from a draft. It’s heavier and thinner, but ultimately, it made for an interesting taste test.
Most of us went into this round thinking about what the ice does to the beloved coffee notes in a Guinness. Over ice, the beer’s appearance pretty much resembled a black cold brew. “If you’re trying to get a mid-day Guinness in and maybe, you know, don’t want people to know what you’re doing, it looks okay,” one participant said. Naturally, some of us were fine with what happened here taste-wise.
But there were detractors. “It kind of tastes like the last sip of an iced coffee that’s too diluted,” said one participant. “I think it’s pretty gross,” said another. Other comments included “It’s definitely giving iced coffee, but like, iced coffee from the gas station iced coffee,” “It’s kind of like if they took a Guinness and said, ‘Let’s just make this a little worse’” and “I think I like it with the ice just because I don’t like this kind of Guinness. I don’t like the Extra Stout. It kind of tastes like a cigarette.”
And from those of us who were fine with it: “I guess it’s better than I was expecting in terms of flavor profile. This might be my favorite one on ice.” As another person put it, “I don’t hate it. The ice brings out the coffee notes of the Guinness, and I think it really does kind of taste like an iced coffee with a little bit of booze in it.”
Ultimately, one imbiber said it best: “I do get that the coffee comes out a little bit more, but I think when I’m drinking a Guinness, I want it to have the creaminess to it.” There’s nothing that really compares to the thick, fresh goodness straight from a Guinness tap. I don’t know that I can really justify doing this to a Guinness unless, like the first comment I mentioned said, you want a sneaky mid-day drink. In that case, maybe just find a way to slip off to your local bar.
In Conclusion
If you’re a person who really enjoys the particular taste of the beer you drink, adding ice is probably something you wouldn’t want to do. Even if you’re someone like me, who likes an occasional beer but doesn’t have it as a frequent first choice, it may still not be something you’d ultimately go for. It is, however, not too difficult to justify why someone would want to do this: Maybe it’s a sweltering hot day and you’re someone who really needs that extra chill, or maybe you desperately need a beer but your only option is an IPA and you don’t usually opt for those.
However, for a generation that isn’t drinking much, a beer on ice does make a lot of sense: It’s not hard liquor, and choosing to water down the beer ultimately lowers the ABV. Either way, I don’t know that any of us are quick to join Gen Z on this trend.
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