Icehouse

Icehouse was the first product of the Plank Road Brewery, a creation of Miller Brewing
Company in 1993, and structured along the lines of the Michelob Brewing Company,
existing inside of the Anheuser-Busch company.  Upon its introduction, Icehouse was
heavily promoted through television, radio, and print ads, and the new beer sparked an
ice beer fad that lasted for about five years, spawning many imitators such as Bud Ice,
Miller Lite Ice (discontinued), Schlitz Ice (discontinued), Coors Arctic Ice (discontinued),
Pabst Ice, Old Milwaukee Ice, Milwaukee's Best Ice, Busch Ice, Mickey's Ice, Schlitz
Malt Liquor Bull Ice, Natural Ice, Keystone Ice, and others.  Anheuser-Busch's Natural
Ice has become the most popular product in the ice beer segment.  Icehouse is no longer
heavily promoted on television or radio, but one will still find print and point-of-sale
promotions for the beer.  Icehouse is sold in 12 oz., 16 oz., and 24 oz. cans and in
12 oz., 18 oz., 32 oz., and 40 oz. bottles.  It comes in many different sized packaging:
6-packs, 12-packs, 24-packs, and 30-packs. 

The ice beer process involves brewing the beer to below freezing, then skimming off the
ice, which results in a high-alcohol brew with a stronger beer taste.  Icehouse has a taste
that falls in the medium range in the ice beer segment, not as light and crisp as Keystone
Ice, but not as bitter, alcoholic-tasting, and heavy as Milwaukee's Best Ice.  For those
wanting a beer that delivers a stronger-than-average alcohol punch
(at 5.5% for Icehouse) and a more distinct flavor than regular beer, Icehouse might satisfy.
In many states, due to restrictions against beer being sold with elevated alcohol content,
Icehouse is sold as ALE, and the new bottle I recently purchased nowhere states that the
product is a beer; ALE is printed discretely on the bottle.  The Miller-Coors website,
however, does clearly refer to Icehouse as "beer," not ale.  Icehouse has had three label
designs since 1993.  The new design, adopted in 2010, hearkens back to the original,
dignified label, featuring an illustration of the 19th Century Plank Road Brewery.  For a
while, Icehouse sported a motorcycle gang-tattoo design, which was adopted when the
brand was repositioned from its initial premium beer pricing level to a sub-premium position.
Apparently this was a failure of sorts, as it now seems like Miller is attempting to reposition
Icehouse back into the premium beer segment.