Hanging with the locals at the edge of the Missouri River in Yankton SD.

Posted by Kevin Snow on Friday, August 15, 2014

 

With the weather getting warmer it's the perfect time of year to sit out on the patio at your favorite bar and enjoy the spring breeze and your favorite libation. A website has chosen the most iconic bars in every state. Here's how they chose each bar:

Our rules for choosing an iconic bar were simple: it has to have been around since at least 1990, it has to be famous, and people need to still love going there. Sometimes this bar is a dive. Sometimes it's in a fancy hotel where former presidents have had a drink or two. But for whatever reason, these 51 bars have stood the test of time, broken bottles, and health inspections, and they keep bringing the crowds back in.

Where is the most iconic bar in South Dakota?  It's South Dakota's only drive-in bar, The Ice house in Yankton, South Dakota. Here's why The Ice house was chosen:

It’s no surprise that Yankton’s famous bar serves up beers in buckets of ice: the place started out as the Pure Ice Company in 1928 before becoming one of the best damned dive bars in the country. And make no mistake, it’s a dive with a capital D -- as in damned delightful. A couple things of note here. First and foremost, you’re going to want to drink outside -- not because the inside is extremely, shall we say, rustic, but because the gorgeous Missouri River is right across the street. Second, the bartender will bring beers right to your car (don’t worry, that, like many weird things, is legal in SoDak). But why drink in the car when you can sit on the loading dock under which the remnants of tens of thousands of broken bottles reside as relics of the bar’s history. That’s right. Tradition dictates that you smash every empty on the concrete below the loading dock. Tom Brokaw -- Yankton’s proudest son -- has a few shattered memories underneath that dock. Everybody should.

If you've ever been to Riverboat Days in Yankton, there's a very good possibility you've had one or two cold ones (FYI - don't ask for one of those fancy beers) at The Ice House, which is located right across the street from Riverside Park.
If you end up in Yankton for Riverboat Days, camping at Lewis and Clark Recreation Area or enjoying the sights at Gavins Point Dam, check out the Ice House and smash a bottle under the dock at South Dakota's most iconic bar.
This video shows Jim Anderson of Yankton quickly smashing cans outside The Ice House. Anderson even appeared on "Late Night with David Letterman" and demonstrated his talent during Stupid Human Tricks.

Ice House in Yankton. Former local celebrity - Jim Anderson. Replaying his David Letterman 'Stupid Human Tricks!' - awesome!

Posted by John Warner on Monday, August 4, 2014

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