ORLANDO, Fla. – This is not your normal spa experience.
You’ll be soaking in hops and barley at My Beer Spa in Orlando.
The spa is located on International Drive (11787 International Drive, Suite 106, Orlando) just south of SeaWorld, has only been open for about a year and has two treatment rooms with tubs filled with warm beer, without the alcohol.
It’s called a hop infusion treatment, which is a mix of all the beer-making ingredients: water, hops, barley and brewer’s yeast. It does not go through the fermentation process before going in the tub.
The experience lasts from an hour to an hour and a half and includes a private room with beer treatment tubs, a private sauna, a hay lounge and beer tap with complimentary beer and wine.
One of the owners, Barbara Corzo, said the concept is inspired by the beer spas she and her husband visited through her travels in eastern Europe.
“Beer is very nutritious and has some wellness properties. The bad part is the alcohol,” Corzo said.
Some doctors say hops in the beer release oils that moisturize the skin. It also reportedly improves microcirculation and prevents premature aging.
Hops also have anti-anxiety and anti-inflammatory properties, which is why you may see hop extracts in some skincare products.
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Brewer’s yeast is rich in B vitamins and helps moisturize the skin as well. Corzo said beer also contains iron, zinc and magnesium.
By soaking in beer, minus fermentation, Corzo said the warm water opens the pores and allows the skin to absorb the treatment.
“Hops release oils over time and your skin feels moisturized when you get out of the tub,” Corzo said.
The one hour and 90-minute treatments include:
- Soak in a tub with Hop Treatment mix
- Private Sauna
- Oversized hay lounge
- Self-serve tap with complimentary beer and wine
After spending time in the tub and sauna, Corzo said the hay lounge helps the body cool down because the hay is not a solid. (Don’t worry, you won’t be sitting directly on the hay, but on a blanket on top of the hay lounge.)
“I know you’re probably wondering if the spa is stinky, or if you end up all sticky after the hop treatment. The answer is no to both. The hops we use for the treatment are of a citrus flavor profile so it smells fruity. And you won’t end up sticky because the treatment isn’t fermented beer so it doesn’t stay on the skin,” Corzo said.
Corzo is a University of Central Florida graduate and works as a CPA full time with her husband, Kevin Ortiz. She said My Beer Spa is her ‘side gig’ and enjoys sharing the experience with Central Floridians and travelers.
“Being on I-Drive, we wanted to make sure we had local beers for the tourists that visit My Beer Spa,” Corzo said. “We have local beers on tap from Ivanhoe Park and even wines on tap.”
My Beer Spa is the only spa of its kind on the East Coast.
It has two treatment rooms with two spa tubs each. You can book up to five guests for each treatment room with one-hour sessions starting at $129. You must be 21 or older to use My Beer Spa.
Would you try it? Comment below and let us know what you think of this new beer spa.