We already know about champagne baths, but if you’re after something a bit more down to earth, why not try a beer bath?
It’s National Beer Day in Iceland on March 1, a celebration dating back to 1989, when a 75-year long ban on beer was lifted.
But beer celebrations don’t need to start or end at the pub.
You can actually bathe in the stuff at beer spas – popular in Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany.
But before you ask why anyone would want to bathe in beer, spa owners claim the frothy stuff has medicinal properties.
Apparently, the B vitamins and yeast ingredients found in beer are good for the hair and skin.
The combination of ingredients also releases bubbles to the surface, creating a beer foam which acts like a bubble bath that’s more sensuous than sticky.
DIY versions aren’t recommended as beer spas don’t just use normal off-the-shelf cans; they tend to make their own with a low alcohol content, mixing yeast, wheat, malt and hops (and sometimes secret ingredients together) with mineral water that’s heated to a steamy temperature.
If you’re a beer lover and want to give it a go, here are a few of our suggestions.
Landhotel Moorhof, Austria
At this family-owned establishment just outside Salzburg, you can bathe in a wooden barrel full of beer and pour yourself a pint of the real stuff on tap while you’re there.
A 20-minute beer bath & relaxation day, including treatments and a beer-themed dinner (with beer crepes, beer soup and beer-battered broccoli on the menu) costs from €129 (£109) per person.
Kummerower Hof spa-hotel, Neuzelle, Germany
This family-run spa hotel, just east of Berlin offers a 20-minute ‘beauty beer’ bath, heated to a temperature of 38°C. Prices are €46 (£39) per person.
Chodovar Brewery, Prague
Chodovar Brewery in Chodová Planá fills its metal tubs with a warm mixture of mineral water and dark bathing beer.
Slide into the tub and while away the time sipping on a glass of freshly brewed beer.
A 20-minute bath for two (in a double tub) starts from 1200 CZK (£40).
