Can You Store Beer Outside This Week In Iowa?

We're asking the important questions as the Midwestern cold snap continues.

This "arctic blast" we're experiencing is going to hang around for a few days, according to our friends at KWQC. It's not even supposed to get above 30 degrees until next Tuesday. School cancellations could happen through the rest of the week and really, the weather freezes any sense of productivity for a lot of us too.

via GIPHY

One way to deal with that is by having a few alcoholic bevys (if you're 21 or older, obviously). And nothing says 'Iowa Winter' quite like sticking that 24-pack of Busch Light in the snow and leaving it outside. And while a cold beer sounds good any time of the year, is leaving the case outside this week going to actually be good for it?

Booze In The Snowbank

You may think it's fine, alcohol doesn't freeze, but it can. Your Beer Friend says beers can freeze around 28 degrees (depending on the alcohol content). That temperature is well above what we're expecting this week.

There's not a clear yes or no on this, but if you do leave the beer outside, don't leave it out for long. Experiments have shown that where it can take an hour for a beer to get nice and cold in a fridge, it can take 45 minutes or less if you leave it outside in cold temps. So stuffing it in the snow is good if you have no patience.

But: if you end up with partially frozen beer, it could have a higher ABV to it. It's a sweet spot though, as you don't want to get it too frozen to explode the can or the glass bottle.

We're gonna be stuck in the arctic tundra all week, so you might as well make use of it.