- Title: Barley bubbles: beer spa opens in Brussels
- Date: 13th May 2021
- Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (MAY 12, 2021) (REUTERS) BULGARIAN WEB DESIGNER, ALEKSANDRA TARCHINI, JOINING HER HUSBAND, ITALIAN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, ROCCO TARCHINI, IN BATHTUB / BELGIAN YOGA TEACHER, DORIEN DIERCKX, IN OTHER BATHTUB DIERCKX IN BATHTUB ROCCO TARCHINI SERVING HIMSELF A PINT OF BEER FROM TAP ROCCO TARCHINI SERVING HIMSELF A PINT OF BEER / DIERCKX DRINKING BEER DIERCKX POURING HERSELF A PINT OF BEER DIERCKX CHEERING WITH ALEKSANDRA AND ROCCO TARCHINI (SOUNDBITE) (English) CO-FOUNDER OF 'GOOD BEER SPA' AND BIEBUYCK'S PARTNER, ANA BORDONADA, 42, SAYING: "For Christmas, I think it was two or three years ago, I got a voucher to go to Prague to a beer spa. It was the best gift ever. We really enjoyed it and we started to check how to do it and look for a (place) to build one here in Brussels." VARIOUS OF CO-FOUNDER OF 'GOOD BEER SPA', BENEDICT BIEBUYCK, PREPARING INGREDIENTS TO BE POURED INTO BATHTUB BIEBUYCK CARRYING BUCKET CONTAINING YEAST, MALT AND HOP BIEBUYCK ADDING BEER TO THE BUCKET BIEBUYCK MIXING UP BEER, YEAST, MALT AND HOP IN BUCKET (SOUNDBITE) (English) CO-FOUNDER OF 'GOOD BEER SPA', BENEDICT BIEBUYCK, 42, SAYING: "I've been preparing the mixture that goes into the Jacuzzis - being the ingredients of beer: hop, yeast and malt, combined with beer - so the whole process of the yeast starting to eat away the malt, starts accelerating in hot water. So, now, I just mixed it and this will be poured into the two jacuzzis right now." VARIOUS OF BIEBUYCK POURING CONTENT OF BUCKET INTO BATHTUBS ALEKSANDRA, ROCCO TARCHINI AND DIERCKX IN BATHTUBS WITH PINTS, ROCCO TARCHINI SAYING (English): "No better way to start a holiday. Perfect!" (SOUNDBITE) (Dutch) BELGIAN YOGA TEACHER FROM BRUSSELS, DORIEN DIERCKX, 29, SAYING: "It is completely different from what I am used to. The smells... It is actually quite surprising. It makes me feel completely relaxed and also the combination of a fresh beer and the hot bath is just great to leave the daily stress behind." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER AND WEB DESIGNER FROM THE BULGARIAN TOWN OF RAZLOG, ALEKSANDRA TARCHINI, 34, SAYING: "I heard that it really rejuvenates the skin so, who knows, it might makes me 10 years younger! And also I like the smell. It's very natural. I feel very much in the nature, yeah. I like it!" (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER FROM THE ITALIAN TOWN OF FOGGIA, ROCCO TARCHINI, 34, SAYING: "For us it’s a very relaxing experience, after a day of working, study, I come here to relax. I had already experimented spa but this one allows to refresh you, the water is warm and the beer is fresh so it’s a great contrast. I like the beer even if we prefer the wine in Italy and I think it’s a great idea because we are here in the country known for the beer so this experience is a great idea." ALEKSANDRA TARCHINI FILLING PINT WITH BEER, SPEAKING TO DIERCKX ALEKSANDRA TARCHINI PUTTING BEER FOAM ONTO HER FACE VARIOUS OF ALEKSANDRA TARCHINI POURING BEER ONTO HER HAIR DIERCKX IN BATHTUB / WATER BUBBLING BONHEIDEN, ANTWERP PROVINCE, BELGIUM (MAY 12, 2021) (REUTERS) HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DERMATO-COSMETOLOGY AT THE FREE UNIVERSITY OF BRUSSELS' FACULTY OF MEDICINE , VERA ROGIERS, SPEAKING BY POND (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DERMATO-COSMETOLOGY AT THE FREE UNIVERSITY OF BRUSSELS' FACULTY OF MEDICINE , VERA ROGIERS, SAYING: "When you see what they put in the barrels, it is in fact a mixture of hop, yeast, barley and water - perhaps some other ingredients. These substances, these natural products contain quite a bit of active substances but it's not just a question of active substances, the concentration plays a very important role. That concentration is extremely low, so if you then go and sit in the mixture with a low concentration, it does nothing for the skin." ROGIERS SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DERMATO-COSMETOLOGY AT THE FREE UNIVERSITY OF BRUSSELS' FACULTY OF MEDICINE , VERA ROGIERS, SAYING: "Brewing makes beer sterile so it is in fact sterile water (in which) you sit (for) 45 minutes. I would be more concerned about the 45 minutes because in fact you have a barrier function of the skin, which really makes that everything you're exposed to doesn't penetrate so basically when you're sitting so long in the bath, you're breaking off the barrier function of your skin, which I wouldn't do." ROGIERS TALKING TO JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DERMATO-COSMETOLOGY AT THE FREE UNIVERSITY OF BRUSSELS' FACULTY OF MEDICINE , VERA ROGIERS, SAYING: "You know what they are claiming: anti-cancer, postmenopausal (benefits), that it has an effect on the skin. That is not true. But if you have a bit of fun, what is against it?" BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (MAY 12, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ALEKSANDRA TARCHINI IN BATHTUB ALEKSANDRA TARCHINI SMILING, PUTTING BEER FOAM ONTO HER FACE DIERCKX DRINKING BEER DIERCKX LYING IN BATHTUB EXTERIOR OF 'GOOD BEER SPA' SIGN READING "Good Beer Spa"
- Embargoed: 27th May 2021 09:57
- Keywords: Alcohol Beer Belgian Belgium Brewing Dermatologist Health Well-being benefits jacuzzi relaxation skincare spa tourism
- Location: BRUSSELS AND BONHEIDEN, BELGIUM
- City: BRUSSELS AND BONHEIDEN, BELGIUM
- Country: Belgium
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Europe
- Reuters ID: LVA001ECSNPEH
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Belgians will soon be able to relax in hop and barley as a new beer spa experience is about to open for the first time in the country's capital.
The "Good Beer Spa" in Brussels was founded by 42-year-olds Benedict Biebuyck and his girlfriend Ana Bordonada, after trying one in Prague in the Czech Republic two or three years ago.
"We really enjoyed it and we started to check how to do it and look for a (place) to build one here in Brussels," said Bordonada, who is originally from Zaragoza, Spain, and who moved to Belgium in 2006.
Biebuyck prepares the mixture for the jacuzzi: hop, yeast and malt combined with beer. He mixes it and then pours it into the jacuzzi, where clients will sit for 45 minutes.
Ahead of the June 4 opening, they invited a few neighbours who said they enjoyed the smells and the relaxing atmosphere.
"I heard that it really rejuvenates the skin so, who knows, it might make me look 10 years younger! And also I like the smell, It's very natural, I feel very much in nature," Aleksandra Tarchini, a 34 year-old web designer from Bulgaria, told Reuters.
Dermatologists, however, may disagree with the skin benefits. Vera Rogiers, the head of the department of dermato-cosmetology at the Free University of Brussels' faculty of medicine told Reuters that she would be more concerned about sitting in a bath for 45 minutes as it breaks the barrier function of the skin.
"These substances, these natural products contain quite a bit of active substances but it's not just a question of active substances, the concentration plays a very important role," she said. "That concentration is extremely low, so if you then go and sit in the mixture with a low concentration, it does nothing for the skin."
"But if you have a bit of fun, what is against it?" Rogiers asked.
Biebuyck and Bordonada now look forward to receiving the public next month. Customers will be able to book a private jacuzzi for up to two people for 115 euros ($139.10). The price includes access to unlimited draft beer served from the tap.
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