New Game on the Club Scene: Ice-A-Bro

My husband I were witness to a new trend apparently sweeping the country's bar scene. No, we are not bar-flies. We just wanted a night out on the town to dance and dine and got introduced to "Ice-A-Bro"-- the newest game on the bar scene.

The local band was setting up as we dined on steamers and crab cakes at a local beach bar on the way to Chapin's Beach on Cape Cod. Unfortunately for the two girls sitting behind us, the band needed more room and confiscated their space. Fortunately for us, they accepted our offer to share our table and we were instantly rewarded with a first hand introduced to an Ice-A-Broing.

One of the two attractive blonds caught the eye of a bachelor who sauntered over to our table and presented her with what appeared to be a frosty beverage in a bottle. "How nice,"I thought. "Oh my God!" she yelled,followed by,"Do I have to?" Peter's forkful of crab cake sat suspended mid-air as we watched in disbelief at the scene rapidly unfolding before us.

Suddenly a circle of laughing strangers surrounded our tiny table. Peter and I stared at each other and then down at the blond who had dropped to one knee and was preparing to drink from the bottle. "Do it right!" someone from the crowd yelled as another guy took her free hand and placed it behind her head. As she chugged the brew the crowd clapped and yelled. When she climbed back up on her stool I meekly asked,"Excuse me, but what just happened?"

"She got Ice-A-Broed!" blond number two laughed. "If someone comes up and offers you a Smirnoff-Ice and you accept it, you have to chug it on one knee with your hand behind your head. But, if you want to see something really funny, watch that girl over there." She pointed to a short brunette in a flowered halter dress who held a Smirnoff Ice behind her back. As if on cue, a tall thin man sauntered over to her and repeated the process. She smiled and immediately whipped out her Smirnoff Ice and waved it at him. The crowd went wild as she laughed and he dejectedly covered his face with his hand. "She Ice-A-Broed him back,and now his has to chug both bottles while on one knee and his hand behind his head." I was impressed that he could stand after he dutifully chugged both bottles. I also noticed that the brunette had slipped back to the bar to purchase another Smirnoff Ice while the crowd was distracted by the side show. Smart girl!

"How did that taste?" I asked blond number one who was still wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. "It's really nasty. It's like a vodka spritzer. I need to go and buy one quick," she said and slid back off the stool. "Get me one, too!" Blond number two yelled after her.

"Why do you buy them if you don't want to drink them?" I asked.
"So, we don't have to!" she answered. "We hide them under the table."

"I'm not drinking that crap if someone Ice-A-Bros me!" Peter yelled for all to hear while still holding his fork in the air. "What a great gig for Smirnoff. They must have started this and are making a mint off of it! Imagine buying a drink you can't stand so you don't have to drink it." I was laughing so hard I almost fell off of my stool.

The band drowned out the laughter and cheers with Vanilla Ice's "Ice-Ice-Baby" but the Ice-A-Broing continued throughout the night. The moral of this story? If you are planning to visit 'Ol Cape Cod, come prepared! Stuff a Smirnoff Ice in you pants. Consider yourself warned.