Bars often come with their own set of rules and protocols. Rudy’s in Midtown Manhattan, for instance, serves up free hot dogs for its thirsty guests, along with its $5 “Stimulus Package,” which is a pitcher of beer and a shot of Jim Beam. Head downtown to the Cubbyhole, and random slices of pizza will appear at the bar for visitors to pull apart and share with one another. And then, apparently there are establishments that serve you up low-carb beer in glasses packed with ice cubes. At least, that’s according to one bar-goer who visited a dive bar in Iowa with a friend.
Upon heading inside, TikToker Bella (@bella_hooks) says her friend asked for Michelob Ultra.
“We stopped at a dive bar in the middle of nowhere Iowa and he asked for a Mich Ultra … she came back with an iced one,” a text overlay in the video reads.
Bella then zooms in on the glass of beer to show that there is, indeed, a lot of ice floating around.
Who Puts Ice Cubes In Michelob Ultra?
According to this 2025 Guardian piece, a good number of people. In a survey quoted by the outlet, “28% of all 18-35 year old” drinkers in the U.K. are plunging ice into their fermented beverages to beat the heat.
Redditors also discussed the practice in the r/Beer subreddit. The Reddit user who kicked off the conversation mentioned vacationing in Southeast Asia and being taken aback after seeing ice in their mug. This prompted them to ask others on the sub if they were familiar with this practice. Surprisingly, there were more than a few people who said that they’ve come across it.
“Old timers in Hawaii do it. I think if you grew up working with your hands in the days before air conditioning, beer on ice would be the most amazing way to cool down after work,” one said.
Another wrote that they also came across this serving style when they lived in Southeast Asia. “Drank beer with ice a lot [over there]. The macro beers are not great … water dilutes it plus you get more hydration as you drink. Nobody that I saw ever did this craft beer though,” they remarked.
Moreover, they added that they thought OP’s aversion to seeing ice in beer was a bit gratuitous. “Light up a little,” they penned.
Is Ice In Beer Really A Bad Thing?
Detractors of the practice turn their noses up at it primarily because it waters down the flavor of beer. This is why beer mugs are typically chilled themselves.
Vinepair notes, like the aforementioned Redditor, that plopping a few cubes of ice in a beer is par the course for dining/drinking establishments across Southeast Asia. The drinking-centric outlet reflected on ice-in-beer critiques, stating that “this dilution mutes the flavor of the beverage, leading to a subpar consumption experience.”
But the follow-up to this comment is what makes Bella’s TikTok all the more interesting. Remember: The man featured in her video had ordered a Michelob Ultra. According to some critics, it is more akin to water than it is a brewski. And according to Vinepair, placing ice cubes in a beer “is probably not a big deal if you’re drinking a light lager whose taste profile is basically similar to water.” Furthermore, the website wrote that this “style of beer is often consumed in the hot, humid climates of countries that drink beer over ice.”
So perhaps the bartender, upon hearing Bella’s friend wanted a Michelob Ultra, surmised that they must’ve wanted to drink a glass of water. So they served them their beer in the same style as they would a glass of tap.
@bella_hooks The gasp I gusped 😭 never in my 21 years #icedbeer #saxophones #iowastate #fyppp #wthisgoingon
BroBible has reached out to Bella via TikTok direct message and to Michelob via email for further comment.