Ingenious Wisconsin YouTubers Turn Beer Into Snow

A few years ago during a polar vortex, I saw steam rolling off the Chicago River and feared we were at the end of days. But it turned out it was just a simple scientific principle: when a liquid is warmer than the air, it will produce steam. It works for soup, it works for large bodies of water. It also works on a smaller scale, but with a twist: if you toss a pot of boiling water into subzero air, the steam will immediately refreeze into crystals. Otherwise known as snow! Science is amazing. (But don't try it at home.)

Many parts of the country right now have enough snow to keep them happy and don't need any more, thank you very much, even snow created by a cool science-magic trick. But a couple of ingenious Wisconsinites named Sparky and Skeeter had a brilliant inspiration. Beer is made from water (and other things). Could you turn beer into snow?

And so one fine -42 degree day, they hauled a case of Leinenkugel (official beer of Wisconsin), a propane stove and a pot, and a pack of Johnsonville brats for good measure—because Wisconsin—out onto the frozen waters of Lake Geneva. And also an air cannon. Because why just toss a pot of boiling beer into the air when you can fire it with a cannon? They fired up the stove, boiled the beer, tossed the brats in to cook them, and then when all that was done, they loaded up the air cannon, aimed, and fired.

And, for a few seconds, it snowed beer. And it was glorious!

This is the inaugural video on Sparky and Skeeter's spanking-new YouTube channel. They have a lot to live up to now, but we're excited to see what they do next.