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Stockholm's Absolut
Ice Bar is Absolutely Out of this World
By Rita Cook
Down a quiet little street just off one of Stockholm's main thoroughfares
is a hip hotel called Nordic Sea. Very chic, very Scandinavia, but it's
really what is inside that's currently all the rage.
It's the world's first ice bar, opened in June 2002. No play on the name
here, Icebar is just that, a bar made completely of ice. Even better,
Icebar recently partnered with Absolut Vodka for a name change,ala
Absolut Icebar.
This architectural wonder is actually located on the lobby level of Nordic
Sea and made of ice from northern Sweden's Torne River. The ice is frozen,
glistening and molded to create this expanse of room that holds up to
30 people, all who must, by the way, be ready to survive the non-adjustable
temperature inside, five degrees below zero.
While it's not a place you will want to spend your entire evening, you'll
definitely want to go for a few - only Absolut - drinks.
As you enter the two doors leading into Icebar you will be given a silver
cape and shoes to keep you warm. "The capes enhance the experience,
create a sense of anonymity and help make guests more receptive to the
environment," says Nordic Sea proprietor Ejnar Soder.
When you step inside the doors your imagination will be stretched to new
limits as the lighting soothes and relaxes your mind - a momentary pause
in eternity.
 From
the sculptures, to the bar, to the tables (no chairs - you enjoy the experience
standing up) everything is made of ice.
When you order your drink, with names such as Absolut Wolf-Paw (Absolut,
Jokk Lingonberry Juice) and Absolut Hot Passion (Absolut Peppar and Passionfruit
Juice) you will be served in cube-styled drinking glasses made of ice,
complete with a hole in the middle for your chosen blend.
The good news is that if it gets too cold you can step right back outside
and find yourself in the Nordic Sea lobby; warm and trendy in its own
right and a local favorite.
Icebar is open all year long and has, without question, become one of
Stockholm's most popular places to be seen. With Absolut now a part of
the name ice bars are being discussed around the world, but Icebar in
Sweden was the first.
The bar is open Monday to Friday from 4:30 p.m. to midnight, Saturday
3:00 p.m. to midnight, Sundays closed. During summer opening hours are
Monday to Saturday 3:00 p.m. to midnight, Sunday 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Photos by A. Anthony Mastracchio
Related Pages:
Rita Cook is the editor-in-chief
of Insider Magazine and enjoys spending her time traveling on freelance
assignments as well. Living in Los Angeles, Cook is also a film producer
who currently has a film in development, "The Kiss of the Vampire."
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