Ice, Ice Baby!

Every summer, Ed Kean, a fifth-generation sea captain, goes out into the North Atlantic to retrieve chunks of ice that have fallen off Greeland glaciers. He then sells the precious ice to a local vodka maker, a winery, a brewer and a bottled-water company with the ice in increasing demand for consumers who appreciate the purity of the source of the water.

Before Kean and his crew hit the water though, he has to scout the coastline for the most navigable spots. Last month, Kean drove 1,000 miles round-trip from his home in St. Johns into the northern part of Newfoundland to scope out the icebergs there. Once they have a location in mind, the crew go out in his trawler, the Green Waters, and have to use large nets, a ship-mounted hydraulic arm and occasionally a chainsaw. The ice chunks can be as big as a Mini Cooper.

When he's not on the hunt for icebergs, Kean makes his bones in the winter as a snowmobile guide and scrap metal hauler. But the pursuit of icebergs can yield him $500K in a good season.

So pick up some Canadian Iceberg Vodka or plan a trip to Newfoundland where you will find Iceberg beer, Berg Water and the Auk Island Winery.

In the meantime, check out this video the WSJ shot with Kean:

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424127887324412604578515430577626410-lMyQjAxMTAzMDAwNjEwNDYyWj.html?mod=wsj_valettop_email