Ice beer is a style of lager that originated in North America. It is typically made by freezing regular beer to remove ice crystals, concentrating the alcohol content to between 5.0-6.5% ABV.
How it is made
The traditional method involves cooling beer until ice crystals form, then mechanically removing the ice. Since water freezes at a higher temperature than alcohol, this process increases the alcohol concentration in the remaining liquid.
History
Ice beer first appeared in North America in April 1993 when Molson launched Molson Ice in Canada. Labatt quickly followed with their own version, and ice beer soon reached 10% of Canada's beer market. The trend then spread to the United States and eventually to other countries worldwide.
Types and styles
Today, ice beer is popular in the US and Canada, though it's often marketed for its smoother taste rather than higher alcohol content. Some brands actually add water back after freezing to reduce alcohol content. Examples include Molson Ice, Labatt Ice, and Saku on ICE.
Adapted from the Russian Wikipedia article Ледовое пиво, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.