A brewery in Australia twice broke the Guinness record for the most expensive beer produced in modern times. The brewery’s secret: Nail Brewing used melted ice from an Antarctic iceberg. According to an article from oneindia News, brewer John Stallwood was looking for new ideas to bring attention to his small operation. His brother-in-law, who works on a ship that sails around Antarctica, took a helicopter crew to an iceberg, dug out some ice, and flew to Tasmania where the ice was melted. Stallwood sold the limited edition Antarctic Pale Ale at an auction to benefit the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. The ale went for up to $1,850 per bottle. Some 30 bottles of the craft beer were produced.

The oneindia News article drew the attention of Laurel Bacque, who does communications and outreach for the IceCube neutrino observatory project at the South Pole. In her blog she describes the conservation society for her readers, saying its actions have been controversial. The society attempts to stop fishing ships that are hunting whales, sharks, and dolphins.

Icebergs were the theme of a recent issue of Beyond Penguins and Polars. Our columnists see them as a source of freshwater in the ocean, which can raise global sea levels, affect sea circulation patterns, and impact marine ecosystems. You’ll find many resources and amazing photographs for introducing K-5 students to icebergs in this issue – and lots for teachers of all grade levels.