Skip to main content

Boozy Baths: Fountains of Youth You Can Drink

You might not be able to have your cake and eat it too, but the same might not be true when it comes to drinks. Around the world, spas and hotels offer guests the opportunity to be the garnish in various alcohol baths and soaks. From champagne to vodka, there are boozy baths out there for everyone. Just like with drinking, though, these treatments should be enjoyed in moderation (unless you’re into getting contact drunk).

Champagne

champagne boozy bath
Image used with permission by copyright holder

What no one tells you about a champagne bath is that you can probably only stand a few minutes of it. Hotels and spas typically pour bottles directly into a tub which means certain…orifices will absorb a little alcohol. Add bubbles to mix and you’ll definitely feel like you’re floating on cloud nine. Waiting for the champagne to go a little flat is your most comfortable bet…if you trust that housekeeping won’t accidentally pull the plug. Though not officially on many menus, several high-end hotels and resorts will provide the service upon request, mostly for the cost of the bottles used. If you have the patience, resources, and a sword, this might be best saved for your tub at home.

Recommended Videos

Wine

Odds are high that you’ve heard of vinotherapy, much to the delight of the French couple behind Caudalie Paris who own several patents in relation to its modern applications. Caudalie Paris has spas around the world that offer a swath of treatments based on wine. Outside of this empire, vinotherapy is typically found in areas with an established wine country. From California’s Kenwood Inn & Spa that offers a pinot noir bath to Il Salviatino’s grape seed wine baths in Italy, you don’t have to wander too far from a vineyard to enjoy the detoxifying effects of wine.

Beer

Beer Spa
Prague’s Beer Spa Bernard (Pivní lázně Bernard) Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ready to trade your shower beer for a beer bath? Unlike other alcohol baths, the tubs at Prague’s Beer Spa Bernard (Pivní lázně Bernard) aren’t filled with the product they tout. Much like a regular bath, beer ingredients (hops, yeast, etc.) are poured into a tub as hot water is added, so you get the aroma of beer without the osmosis. In Iceland, their Beer Spa (Bjórböðin) uses a small amount of beer in their treatment. Both spas offer a personal, bath-side keg full of real beer to further enhance your relaxation.

If you’d rather not spring for the international airfare, several spas in and around Denver, Colorado offer foot soaks that capitalize on the local brewery scene. The Denver Ritz-Carlton and Vail’s Four Seasons provide the most popular and luxurious soaks in the area.

Vodka

If full alcohol baths aren’t your thing, many American spas use vodka in pedicure treatments, either diluted or in a scrub. In addition to its effectiveness at softening calloused feet, vodka also provides some respite for those with particularly odorous feet. If you have a particularly active job or a bad case of athlete’s foot, this is the treatment for you.

J. Fergus
Former Digital Trends Contributor
J. loves writing about the vices of life — decadent food, strong drinks, potent cannabis, and increasingly invasive…
Gin goes with everything! From strawberries to carrot
The Connaught

As an avowed gin lover, one of the things I enjoy about the spirit is its ability to mix with a wide range of ingredients. It can do some much more than a Gin & Tonic, as depending on the botanicals used in a particular gin it can be combined with everything from herbal lushness to bracing bitterness to fruity sweetness.

A balanced gin like Fords is a great choice for mixing as it isn't overly sharp or bitter, but still has enough interest to add depth to any drink you make with it. These recipes from bartenders around the world show just how diverse gin drinks can be, combining ingredients from strawberries and coconut to carrot and grapefruit.

Read more
The best gin drinks: Our 5 favorites
The best gin cocktails for you to make at home
Gin cocktail

When it comes to spirits, there are none as unique as gin. When distilled, gin doesn’t have much flavor, save for the ingredients it’s made with. It’s not all that different from vodka. It’s the addition of juniper berries and various herbs and botanicals either in the distillation process itself (or a second distillation), through vapor infusion (the herbs and botanicals are hung in a basket in the still), or through maceration (adding the flavors to an already distilled gin) that give the gin its distinct, memorable aromas and flavors.

If you’ve ever had gin (or even sniffed it), you know the most potent ingredient is juniper berries. They are what gives gin its patented pine tree aroma and flavor. Other common ingredients include orris root, angelica root, orange peel, and licorice.
Our 5 favorite gin drinks

Read more
Give your gimlet a herbal twist with this vodka cocktail
Ghost Hill Organic Vodka

The Gimlet is one of those cocktails that is so simple and such a classic that it's easily overlooked. Whilst I lean toward a Gin Gimlet (and I have strong feelings like it should be made with fresh lime juice and sugar syrup rather than a pre-made lime cordial), you can also experiment with different spirits such as the also popular Vodka Gimlet.

The simple recipe is ripe for experimentation though, and especially when you are working with vodka, you have a lot of leeway to incorporate other ingredients to add more interest and unique personality to your drink. This recipe from Ghost Hill Organic Vodka showcases the smooth and clean notes of the spirit while also allowing space for the other ingredients to shine -- not only lime juice and simple syrup, but also the addition of sage leaves for a more herbal note.

Read more