Travellers in Europe can enjoy beer baths
Posted on Thursday 02 February 2012
in Prague
By Dylan Thomas
Many beer drinkers know the effect the libation can have on their insides, but it also provides many essential nutrients for the skin. The hoppy beverage has exfoliating properties, and yeast provides necessary vitamin B, protein and antioxidants to enrich and fortify. Certain breweries and spas in Europe and the U.S. now offer beer baths for visitors interested in trying this therapeutic use for one of the most popular drinks in the world, according to BBC Travel.
Travellers on Prague holidays can rent a car for a drive to the Beer Spa Bahenec in the city of Pisek. Specially brewed beers are mixed with mineral water in a barrel-style tub, and patrons sink into the warm suds for 15 to 20 minutes, allowing the ingredients to absorb into the skin. A nearby tap is available for a regular, chilled pint of ale as well. The spa has other locations that also feature this innovative style of treatment in Prague, Tabor and Prespork in Slovakia.
To the northeast of Pisek, the Chodovar Brewery in Chodova Plana offers similar baths in a dark ale crafted to increase its rejuvenating effects. Doctors have agreed that these treatments can help bathers with certain skin conditions, such as psoriasis, cellulitis and acne, according to the brewery website. At Chodovar, visitors can also enjoy a stay at the adjoining Hotel U Sladka. As the town is centered around the brewery, two of the best restaurants are also located within it. Stara Sladovna was built in the old malthouse, while Ve Skale is in the 800-year old cellars of the brewery.
One spa in the U.S. has a slightly different therapeutic use for beer. The Ritz-Carlton in Denver, Colorado, offers a Mile High Malt Scrub and Microbrew Massage featuring an exfoliant and dark stout "paint" made by the local Great Divide Brewery. Patrons can enjoy both beverages afterwards as well, and as an added bonus, head over to Great Divide and tour the facilities before enjoying another pint in its Tap Room.
While the beer spa has not caught on heavily outside of Europe, the nutrient-rich bath may be growing in popularity very soon. Doctors seem to approve as well, as Roman Vokaty, a medical specialist in spa treatment, says that beer baths are rejuvenating, can have curative effects on skin and hair and help support the immune system.
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