A visit to the Beer SPA in Plzeň is a unique experience and where better to experience it than in the Czech beer region. The Purkmistr brewery, which is located just outside the city, not only offers great-tasting beer, but also the opportunity to relax in beer.
I was very pleased to be able to go to a beer SPA in Plzeň. Why always just drink beer and not enjoy Czech beer in a completely different way….
The concept of beer SPAs has its roots in Central Europe, particularly in countries such as the Czech Republic. These regions have a long tradition of brewing beer, and the idea of using beer for therapeutic purposes is an extension that was bound to come up sooner or later.
What is a beer SPA?
A beer SPA is a wellness facility where treatments are carried out using beer or its ingredients such as hops, malt and yeast.
These SPAs offer a unique experience where guests can bathe in tubs with a mixture of warm water and beer ingredients such as hops, malt and yeast. Often there are also additional treatments such as massages or facial masks that contain beer ingredients.
It is claimed that the bath offers various health benefits, such as:
Skin health: Hops contain antioxidants that can fight free radicals and improve skin health. The pores of the skin are said to open up due to the high content of hop oils in beer baths.
Stress relief: The relaxing effect of the warm bath and the scent of hops help to de-stress.
Circulation improvement: The bath is said to promote blood circulation and contribute to detoxification.
Muscle relief: It is believed that the substances in beer baths reduce muscle stress and thus calm the body.
Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect: Beer and its ingredients contain xanthohumol. This substance has a high antioxidant effect and can help prevent oxidative stress. Hops also have an anti-inflammatory effect.
In other words, the natural ingredients in beer are said to have positive effects on the skin and body. These claims have not been proven, but if the visit helps you to relax and, above all, feel good, a beer bath certainly can’t do any harm. I was curious to see if I would notice anything….
Possible risks and side effects
Although beer baths offer a soothing experience, you should be aware of the following before taking a bath:
Allergic reactions: There is a possibility of allergic reactions, especially in people who are sensitive to beer ingredients.
Skin sensitivity: Hops and yeast can cause skin irritation or sensitivity in some people.
Heat-related risks: The warm water in beer baths can lead to dehydration, dizziness or even heat exhaustion. So drink plenty!!!
Health conditions: People with certain health conditions, such as heart disease, should consult a doctor before taking a beer bath treatment.
Experience the Beer SPA in the Purkmistr Brewery
The Purkmistr Brewery site is not only home to the brewery, but also a restaurant, a hotel and, of course, the Beer SPA in Plzeň. You can get there by going into the hotel.
After registering, I was given flip-flops, a large towel and a linen towel. Then I went into the changing room to undress and finally, wrapped in the linen towel, I waited to be led to the tubs.
There are several bathtubs in one large room. They can be separated from each other by sliding doors so that you can enjoy your privacy. However, you are not completely private. You can hear what is happening to the right and left and one side of the ‘compartment’ is open, as the employees clean the compartments from there after each ‘bathing session’.
In my compartment, the filled bathtub was already ready and a freshly tapped Purkmistr beer was waiting to be drunk. For many visitors, this is certainly one of the highlights: there is a beer tap right next to the bathtub and you can drink as much beer as you like.
I was first drawn to the really quite large tub. The temperature of the baths is set to 35 – 37 °C at the beginning. With my 160 cm height, it was barely possible to keep my head above water and push myself off with my feet on the edge of the tub. If you then want to drink your beer lying as low as possible in the water, it was difficult not to bathe the beer mug as well.
A typical beer bath contains a mixture of warm water, hops, malt and yeast. The longer I lay in the bath, the more relaxed I became. The water, the beer and certainly also the bath additives made me feel calmer and enjoyable. The hops settled at the bottom of the tub and eventually all over my body, which I was later able to shower off like a little scrub.
After about 20 minutes, the light above the bath started to flash and shortly afterwards the plug in the bath opened automatically and the water drained away. What a shame, it was really relaxing and I hadn’t even finished my beer yet.
So it was time to get out of the bath, dry off a bit and wrap up and go to the relaxation room. There were some comfortable loungers waiting for the guests from the bath. And anyone who thought they could let the bath sink in without enjoying a beer was mistaken. Of course there was a new freshly tapped beer (but water was also available on request)!
So, will I repeat this experience?
Definitely! I loved my visit to the beer SPA in the Purkmistr brewery. On my next visit, I would extend my stay with a massage and then enjoy the beer bath even more. It certainly wasn’t my last beer bath!
Leave a Reply