Reykjavík Grapevine - 15.06.2018, Qupperneq 52

52 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 10 — 2018
When word got out that a new beer spa
had opened in the North of Iceland,
people had very strong opinions about
it.
We mostly had questions. Do you
get drunk if you lie in it long enough?
Does it have any visible benefits for
your skin? When someone finally
asked “can you get a yeast infection
from it,” we decided to put an end to
the speculation and check the spa out
in person.
It’s been raining for 30 days in Reyk-
javík when we travel up to Bjórböðin,
located a half hour drive from Akurey-
ri. I desperately need to be pampered,
and as I put on my soft white robe I’m
ready for anything.
Down the rabbit hole
Beer heaven, I gather, lies behind a se-
ries of opaque glass doors, each one
leading to a different private tub whose
bizarre contents you can enjoy alone
or in company and, preferably, naked.
“You will stay in the bath for 25
minutes,” the lady explains. “And don’t
worry, you won’t get drunk,” she adds,
anticipating my question. “The beer is
so young that it’s not alcoholic yet.”
But I’ve already stopped listening.
A cloud of sparkly foam has bloomed
in the wooden bathtub, and it’s so lush
that the only thing I can do is slip out
of my robe and dive in at once.
“Drink me”
The tub welcomes me like a warm hug.
It takes a while for the sizzling foam to
dissipate, unveiling a nebulous, amber
liquid infused with all sorts of herbs.
An empty glass sits suggestively under
a tap, there to remind me that a river of
beer is at hand to quench my thirst—
free of charge, of course.
Sliding back and forth in the beer,
I can feel a coarse residue resembling
clay gathering at the bottom of the tub.
I slather it all over my legs, and as I
plunge my hair into the water for an
impromptu mask. I feel lightheaded
already. I lay back and finally relax.
In a warm cocoon
The 25 minutes pass too quickly. I slide
back into my robe and I follow the lady
upstairs to a dimly lit lounge lined
with reclinable chairs.
I pick one in a far, hidden corner,
and the lady follows me to tuck me in.
In this warm cocoon, under the soft
haze of a single lightbulb, my muscles
are relaxed and my head feels cloudy. I
hear droplets of water running slowly
above me, but they get further and fur-
ther away as I slip down into the soft
embrace of Morpheus.
Au revoir, beer baths
It’s a different kind of inebriation, this
intoxicated feeling. After the nap, my
pores sizzle with pleasure under the
Northern sun, and while my skin feels
smooth and soft, the biggest surprise
is my hair: my usually coarse South-
ern frizz has become beautiful, bouncy
waves.
As we leave, I look back longingly
at the outdoor pool at the edge of the
cliff, and the chain of snowy moun-
tains stretching away peacefully on
the other side of the sparkly sea. Au
revoir, Bjórböðin: I shall miss you in-
deed.
Distance from
Reykjavík:
402 km
Soak provided by:
bjorbodin.is
How to get there:
Route One North
to Akureyri, thens
Routes 82 & 808
Alice in
Beerland
One girl’s adventures at the Icelandic Beer Baths
Words: Alice Demurtas Photos: Art Bicnick
There's a bar, of course
The House at Eyrarbakki
Árnessýsla folk museum is located in Húsið, the House, historical
home of the Danish merchants built in 1765. Húsið is one of
the oldest houses in Iceland and a beautiful monument of
Eyrarbakki´s time as the biggest trading place on the south coast.
Today one can enjoy exhibitions about the story and culture of
the region, famous piano, shawl made out of human hair and the
kings pot, are among items. Húsið prides itself with warm and
homelike atmosphere.
Opening hours:
May 1st - September 30th
daily 11.00-18.00 or by an agreement
Tel: +354 483 1504 & +354 483 1082
husid@husid.com I husid.com