What's that old saying? If life gives you melting ice caps, make a lot of beer?

That's the upbeat approach they're taking up in Greenland [0]. A new microbrewery is using ice melt from virgin polar ice caps to make beer.

Greenland Brewhouse [1] —the first-ever Inuit [2] microbrewery—is situated in a tiny hamlet some 400 miles from the Arctic Circle [2]. It is producing both dark and pale ales, which will be bottled in Northern Germany and sold in Denmark. They hope to expand into other countries soon.

It seems to be going over well with tasters in Denmark. They described it to the AP [3] as "different from other beer," and "smooth, soft but not bitter."

Greenland Brewhouse also plans to release a special Christmas brew (which I can only assume is brewed by Santa's elves themselves.)

According to BBC News [4], the brewers say that because the ice was 2,000 years old, it's free of pollutants [4], minerals and such. Good to know, though pollutants aren't the first thing I worry about when I hear about melting ice caps.

Melting ice — especially ice that's 2,000 years old — makes me worry about global warming [4] and climate change [4] and greenhouse gases [4]. The larger implications of polar ice melt are downright depressing.

Then again, it is comforting to know that as the planet gets hotter & hotter, at least we'll have plenty of brewskis to help us forget our troubles.