Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.08.2018, Side 40

The Reykjavík Grapevine
Best of Iceland 2018
40
Alice In
Beerland
One girl’s adventures at the
Icelandic Beer Baths
Words: Alice Demurtas Photo: Art Bicnick
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 visi-
ble benefits for your skin? When
someone finally asked “can you
get yeast infection from it,” we
decided to put an end to the spec-
ulation and check the spa out in
person.
It’s been raining for 30 days
in Reykjavík when we travel up
to Bjórböðin, located a half hour
drive from Akureyri. I desperate-
ly 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 series of opaque glass doors,
each one leading to a different
private tub whose bizarre con-
tents 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 lis-
tening. A cloud of sparkly foam
has bloomed in the wooden bath-
tub, 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 sug-
gestively under a tap, there to re-
mind 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 im-
promptu mask. I feel lighthead-
ed 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 fol-
low the lady upstairs to a dimly
lit lounge lined with reclinable
chairs.
I pick one in a far, hidden cor-
ner, and the lady follows me to
tuck me in. In this warm cocoon,
under the soft haze of a single
lightbulb, my muscles are re-
laxed and my head feels cloudy.
I hear droplets of water running
slowly above me, but they get fur-
ther and further away as I slip
down into the soft embrace of
Morpheus.
Au revoir, beer baths
It’s a different kind of inebri-
ation, this intoxicated feeling.
After the nap, my pores sizzle
with pleasure under the North-
ern sun, and while my skin feels
smooth and soft, the biggest
surprise is my hair: my usually
coarse Southern frizz has be-
come beautiful, bouncy waves.
As we leave, I look back long-
ingly at the outdoor pool at the
edge of the cliff, and the chain
of snowy mountains stretching
away peacefully on the other
side of the sparkly sea. Au re-
voir, Bjórböðin: I shall miss you
indeed.
Distance from
Reykjavík:
402km
How to drive there:
Fly from Reykjavík or drive
Route One North then Route 85
Trip provided by:
bjorbodin.is North
“The tub
welcomes
me like a
warm hug.”