Natural Ice Beer, produced by Anheuser-Busch, has been on the market since 1995. It is made from hops, malt and corn by the ice brewing method. This process, which gives this beer its name as well as its distinctive flavor, involves lowering the beer's temperature to below the freezing point until it forms ice crystals.
Basic Nutritional Information
Natural Ice contains 157 calories per 12-oz. serving, according to LIVESTRONG.COM MyPlate. Each serving also has 8.9 g of carbohydrates, which is 3 percent of the recommended daily value based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Natural Ice also has 1.1 g protein, 2 percent of the daily value. There is no measurable fat, cholesterol, sodium or dietary fiber in this product. An estimated 22.7 percent of the calories in Natural Ice come from carbohydrates, 2.8 percent of the calories come from protein and none of the calories are fat-derived.
The Good News
A 2006 conference at the University of Maryland College Park was the first U.S. forum addressing the value of moderate beer consumption to a healthy lifestyle. Conference speakers noted that moderate beer consumption, which was defined as between one-half and two 12-oz. servings per day, is just as effective at promoting cardiovascular health as is wine consumption. Other benefits of beer discussed by keynote speakers included bone health and reduced risk of diabetes, and beer was cited as a significant source of B vitamins as well as a provider of magnesium, phosphorus and calcium.
The Bad News
The beer conference at the University of Maryland mentioned also mentioned some of the drawbacks associated with excessive beer consumption, defined as three or more drinks per day. Among the disadvantages of excess beer consumption are weight gain, possible malnutrition if beer calories replace more nutrient-dense calories, and even a higher risk of injury and death, particularly among young adults. Women who consume even one alcoholic beverage, including beer, per day are at a slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer than are nondrinkers, although this risk may be offset by the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of the dietary flavonoids contained in beer.
How It Compares
Similar types of non-premium, non-light ice-brewed beers on the market include Bud Ice, Busch Ice, Genesee Ice, Icehouse, Keystone Ice, Mickey's Ice and Milwaukee's Best Ice. Natural Light has the same amount of calories as Genesee Ice and Mickey's Ice and is higher in calories than Bud Ice, Icehouse, Keystone Ice and Milwaukee's Best Ice. Busch Ice has about 10 more calories per 12-oz. serving than does Natural Ice. Bud Ice has a similar level of carbs to both Bud Ice and Icehouse, but more carbs than Keystone Ice and Milwaukee's Best Ice. It is, however, lower in carbs than Genesee Ice, Mickey's Ice and Busch Ice.
Alcohol Content
The ice method of brewing results in a higher alcohol content than is found in similar non-ice brewed domestic lagers. Natural Ice has 5.9 percent alcohol by volume, whereas Budweiser has 5 percent alcohol, Coors has 4.91 percent and Miller Genuine Draft has 4.7 percent. This can pose a potential risk in that a person who is used to drinking a lower-alcohol content beer may not realize that she is ingesting a higher than usual level of alcohol until after the beer is consumed.
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