Long Live the King (of Cool)

A great philosopher once said, “what’s cooler than being cool? ICE COLD.”

But what OutKast might not have known is that being “ice cold” may not have been possible in the modern era without a small-town inventor from northern Minnesota.

Some consider Fredrick McKinley Jones, from Hallock Minnesota, the grandfather of mobile refrigeration. Without him, delivering fresh produce (and most importantly, beer) around the globe would be nearly impossible.

Enter Luce Line Brewing. A couple of years ago, Luce Line was looking to not only do its first “real” collaboration brew but also wanted to add a new hazy IPA to their rotation to bring some tropical flavors to February. Mix that with executive officer/co-owner Tim Naumann’s fascination with history, an idea was born. The team decided to collaborate with Revelation Ale Works (RIP) out of Jone’s very own town in Hallock, and the “King of Cool” emerged.

February 2026 marks the third time King of Cool has hit Luce Line’s taproom, with this year’s version having subtle tweaks, including the first use of Nectaron hops from New Zealand.

A quick review: In a season often dominated by heavy dark malt forward beers, releasing a hazy IPA is definitely a break away from the crowd. The other unfortunate thing is when you release a hazy IPA in February, there aren’t other “summery” beers to blend into, so it must stand on its own. And stand on this own it does. It has tropical notes from the Nectaron hops, while still being smooth and punchy. I would liken it to drinking a Fanta float.

Now back to the king.  “We really want people to know the story,” said head brewer Danny McMahon. “We thought [the story] was really cool!” (cannot confirm if pun was intended or not).

Jones was originally born in 1893 in Kentucky, but in his early 20s, moved to Hallock to work on a farm. After a stint in the army, and working on other endeavors, he started to work on a mobile refrigeration unit. In 1939, he filed the patent for the unit. By 1949, he co-founded Thermo King, the standard in mobile refrigeration today.

So if you’re looking to pay homage to one of Minnesota’s best, or looking for some liquid sunshine after Minnesota set some below-zero state temperature records, the King of Kool is waiting for you at Luce Line’s taproom (and some retail locations). “We’re celebrating a guy that was amazing,” said Naumann.