A few of us have been using early prototypes of nICE mug kits – molds to make drinking glasses entirely out of ice.
These same folks tell me that making nICE mugs reminds them of brewing beer. As an avid home brewer two different stages in my life, I concur!
- It’s a lot of fun to lose oneself in the process of making something.
- There’s a spirit of off the grid, and minimal packaging.
- The DIY (do it yourself) ethos has its own rewards: experimenting, engaging, sharing, smiling.
There is a special satisfaction in making home brew, your own beverage. There is an extra special satisfaction in making home brew and pouring it into a drinking glass you’ve also made.
And with home brew and nICE mugs, once you own the equipment, you can keep making and enjoying more and more, over and over.
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Some beer purists insist that their product be served in a clean glass of room temperature. I love bucking this. Hoppy, robust beers taste fantastic in a nICE mug. I really enjoy Pale Ales that call for Terrnanger hops, for example, as they provide that extra punch in and around the ice glass.
For lighter fare, German style Pilsners with Hallertauer hops react wonderfully in a nICE mug. The hop grabs you in a celebratory salute, and you feel like you want to drop everything and get on a plane to Europe or at least hold the nICE mug up to the light, turn up the stereo, and enjoy the moment.
There’s also the satisfaction of watching someone enjoy a home brew that you made yourself. You get to expose someone to something unique that they’re not going to get anywhere else. The same is true when you bust out the nICE mugs at a party (which I’ve done). For everyone there it’s a completely new experience, and probably one they won’t soon forget. It’s great. And it’s just water. That’s it. You can recreate that experience over and over for free. Pretty awesome.
I guess I would concur with your seeing a similarity in the satisfaction of making something that would be enjoyed…the creation, the anticipation, the enjoyment. Like that?
Less is more.Being able to hand craft and consume is what is behind the growing ‘maker movement.’ Chris Anderson and myriad others have written about it in Wired and elsewhere. 3D printing is high tech evidence.
But right here right now we can do it with nICE mug and home brews.
Well done. Readers can learn more about Bradleigh’s reference to “maker movement.” Chris Anderson, the man behind The Long Tail and Editor and Chief of Wired Magazine, continues to be light years in front of this fast changing world. Makes me want to send him a nICE mug kit of gratitude for keeping it all fresh.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/09/wireds-chris-anderson-todays-maker-movement-is-the-new-industrial-revolution-tctv/
I believe the commonality of both products is someone must be willing to take the time to make something rather than pulling a glass out a cabinet or pop a frosty bottle of local craft brew
What other hobbies would you see the same crossover? Gardening? Woodworking? Model train enthusiasts?
Model train enthusiasts tend to wear poly blend vests and train conductor caps, so I’d like to think that crossover would be minimal.
“must be willing to take the time” could be turned around to read “are invited to enjoy the time”. Some like running a chain saw, or raking fall leaves, or other pursuits for the spirit of engagement and enjoyment. It turns it around from work to fun. We all need more fun.
The DIY nature of nICE Mug makes it all the better. Here’s a parallel–about 2 years ago I was at a bar with a “mixologist” and I took home a great new idea…HUGE ice cubes. I bought a mold and now keep 6 huge ice cubes ready for action in my freezer. Why huge cubes you say? Because they melt slower, they make your drink colder and they look COOL! Everybody comments on the cubes. Well, just think of the comments I’m going to get from my new nICE mugs. I swear, I’m going to be the first on my block to have them, and I’m going to bust them loose at a house party and just watch the reactions. I might even retire my huge ice cube molds. Oh man…I’ve got an idea. nICE mug parties…like tupperware, but everybody is happy as hell to be there!!!!
The DIY aspect is my favorite thing about the nICE mug. The product gets better as time goes on because a.) you get better at making them and b.) you get more excited and engaged in the process. That’s my experience with it anyway. (Yes, I got my hands on an early prototype!)