How to Instantly Freeze a Beer or Other Bottled Drink

Last Updated: May 6, 2021 References

Beer aficionados know there's nothing better than an ice-cold beer on a hot day. However, few know that it's possible to turn an ice-cold beer into a literal block of ice in a matter of seconds. All that's needed for this amazing trick is a sealed bottle of beer (or another tasty beverage), a freezer, and a hard, sturdy surface like concrete or tile floor. See step 1 below to get started!

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Freezing a Beer Before Your Eyes

1
Place several unopened beers (or other carbonated bottled drinks) in the freezer. Leave these drinks in the freezer until they are nearly frozen, but still 100% liquid.^{[1]
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Research source} You want your drinks to become very cold in the freezer, but not solid or slushy. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours depending on the strength of your freezer, so frequently check on your beer to make sure it hasn't frozen in the bottle.
- If you leave your bottles in the freezer for too long, the liquid inside will eventually freeze solid. Since water expands when it freezes, this can cause the bottles to crack or rupture. This is why it's recommended to use several bottles - if you lose one bottle, you may still be able to use another.
- Drinks with clear bottles work best for this trick because they allow an unhindered view of the liquid inside the bottle.
2
Take your bottles out of the freezer and bring them to a hard, solid surface. This trick requires a sturdy surface to work - tile works best, but if you don't have any tile in your home, you can use concrete, stone, or another similar surface. You don't want to use a surface that can scratch, break, or mar easily, so avoid wood and softer metals.
- Set any bottles that have frozen solid aside.
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3
Grasp the bottle around its neck and hold it above your hard surface. You want a firm grip on your bottle, but not an intense one. Hold the bottle just several inches above the hard surface you've chosen.
4
Tap the bottle down against the surface semi-hard. Your goal is to create bubbles in the bottle, but to (obviously) avoid breaking the bottle, so strike it against the hard surface firmly but not violently. When in doubt, be conservative. The bottle may make a noise like a tuning fork.^{[2]
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5
Watch as ice spreads through the liquid before your eyes! If done correctly, the bubbles created by smacking the bottle against the hard surface should freeze instantly, then, ice should spread from the bubbles throughout the bottle, freezing all the liquid within about 5 - 10 seconds.
- If you're having trouble getting this trick to work, your liquid may not be cold enough. Return your bottle to the freezer and try again later.
- You may also want to try uncapping the bottle right before you smack it against the surface, as this can aid in the production of bubbles.
6
Learn the science behind this trick. This amazing trick works according to the principle of supercooling. Basically, when you leave your beer in your freezer for long enough, it actually drops below its freezing temperature. However, because the inside of the bottle is perfectly smooth, there is nothing for ice crystals to form against, so the beer stays as a "supercooled" liquid for a while. When you smack the bottle against your hard surface, bubbles form, as they would in any carbonated liquid. These bubbles give the ice crystals something to "grab on to" on the molecular level, so, if you look closely, you should actually see ice radiate outwards from the bubbles throughout the liquid.^{[3]
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- Now that you understand how this trick works, use it to amaze your friends! Or, if you're at the bar, make a show of it and use it to win free drinks from other patrons!

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Chilling a Beer for Your Drinking Pleasure

1
Use salted ice water. If you're less interested in the party trick above than you are in getting your beers chilled at the last minute for a party, try dropping your drinks into a mixture of ice, water, and salt. Use about 1 cup of salt for every three pounds of ice you use.^{[4]
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Research source} If you want your drinks to cool as quickly as possible, use as much ice as you can, but be sure to add enough water so that the mixture retains its liquid property. Liquid water comes into contact with the entire surface area of the bottle or can, rather than touching it at points, like solid ice chunks would, reducing the time that it takes to cool the drink.
- Salt further shortens the cooling process. When salt dissolves in water, it dissociates into its component elements - Sodium and Chloride. It takes energy from the water to do this, which causes the temperature of the water to lower.
- Note that the thicker and more insulated of container you use to contain your salted ice water, the better it will retain its coldness.
2
Use a wet paper towel. Another way to quickly cool drinks is to wrap each bottle or can in a damp paper towel, then put the drink in the freezer. Water is a better conductor of heat than air, so, as the water in the paper towel cools, it will pull heat from the drink faster than the cold air of the freezer would on its own. As an added bonus, the evaporation of the water in the rag will have a further cooling effect on the drink.^{[5]
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- Don't forget your beers in the freezer! If left in for too long, your bottles or cans may burst, leaving a slushy mess.
3
Use cold mugs or glasses. You may have seen this in practice at bars - one way to quickly cool a drink is to pour it into a chilly mug or glass. Though quick and convenient, this method has several drawbacks - it's unlikely to cool a drink to as low of temperature as the other methods in this article and will only work effectively for the first drink you pour into the glass. It also requires you to keep a supply of glasses or mugs in the refrigerator for your beverage emergencies, which can be a non-starter if fridge space is at a premium.
- It's tempting to put glasses in the freezer to get them even colder than the fridge allows, but only do so with caution. Rapid drops in temperature can cause glassware to crack or shatter. A better bet is to use plastic cups and mugs specially-designed for chilling in the freezer, which often feature a layer of freeze-able liquid for a long-lasting cooling effect.

Community Q&A

Question

I tried this trick but I accidentally left the plastic bottle inside for too long and the ice froze. How can I turn the ice back to water or get the ice out?

Community Answer

Take a clean sink, put a stopper in it, and place the bottle in hot water from the tap. You might have to give it about 30 minutes to thaw completely.

Warnings

Be careful when putting any drink inside a glass in the freezer because as the liquid freezes it expands and the glass may break if it is left in too long.

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Don't leave the drink in the freezer for too long, you don't want a frozen corona all over your freezer.

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Don't tap it too hard on the surface or it will break.

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