It all began with an idea that, by their own admission, may have been born after “one too many beers.” Kelly Montgomery, head brewer and co-owner of Third Eye Brewing in Hamilton, Ohio, and Dow Scoggins, founder of the U.S. Open Beer Championship, had always wanted to hold a world record. So in February 2024, to celebrate National Stout Month, they decided to stop talking about it and start scooping. Using 9 liters — 27 twelve-ounce cans — of Third Eye’s Higher Purpose Milk Stout and 36 scoops of Graeter’s vanilla ice cream, the pair built what they declared the World’s Largest Beer Float. The attempt wasn’t yet a certified Guinness title, but the documentation went in, and Hamilton, Ohio quietly staked its claim to frozen-and-fermented history.
The record didn’t last long. That June, a Texas brewery caught wind of the Ohio upstart and decided the Lone Star State needed the title back home. Lakewood Brewing Co. in Garland, Texas, went bigger, combining 50 scoops of Andy’s Frozen Custard with 50 pints — a full keg — of Temptress, their top-selling craft milk stout in Texas. Crowds gathered at the taproom to watch, with a kid-friendly version made with root beer on hand for anyone not yet 21.
It’s the kind of rivalry that could only exist in craft beer: two breweries, a thousand miles apart, one-upping each other with stout and ice cream instead of trophies. And somewhere in Hamilton, Ohio, the guy who started it all isn’t done yet — word is a new attempt to reclaim the title is already in the works, with details expected in the next month or two. Stay tuned.
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