It’s not exactly a hot spot. But to claim that the ABSOLUT ICEBAR is the world’s coolest bar is no exaggeration. How cool is it? Let’s put it this way: Should you be foolish enough to stick your tongue on the counter, there is an imminent risk of getting stuck. Here, drinks are not served “on the rocks”, but “in the rocks”.

ABSOLUT ICEBAR at Nordic Sea Hotel in Stockholm is the world´s first permanent icebar and was inaugurated in 2002. However the story started in 1993 when the first original icebar was built in Jukkasjärvi and this ABSOLUT ICEBAR is now rebuilt every season. Between then and now, more than 50 temporary ABSOLUT ICEBARs have been built in different locations around the world, including the sizzling Niger Desert.

With a steady, computer-controlled interior temperature of minus 5 degrees Celsius (23 Fahrenheit), ABSOLUT ICEBAR is at the cutting edge between contemporary technology and ancient building.

Guests wear specially designed coats and gloves when entering the deep-frozen environment – while keeping bar flies comfortable, the outer garments also reduce body heat so the interior won’t start melting.

That’s right, everything in the bar, from the seating area to the art works and the drinking glasses, is made from crystal-clear ice. The ice comes from the Torne River in Jukkasjärvi, northern Sweden

Each spring, a total of 6,000 tons of ice is harvested, enough to fill a football stadium. Like gigantic ice cubes, the two-ton blocks of ice are stored in a refrigerated warehouse. With the aid of custombuilt saws, all of the building materials, art works and glasses are hand-carved out of the huge ice blocks.

The ice from the Torne River is nothing like the lumps of ice you may find lurking deep inside your own freezer. The river is located 200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, where there is virtually no pollution. The ice builds up gradually during the long, arctic winter, producing crystal-clear ice with occasional cracks and marble-like veils that give it a unique character. Artists love it. Every year, designers and artists from all over the world are invited to create dazzling new designs for ABSOLUT ICEBAR.

You can read more about the concept ABSOLUT ICEBAR at
www.absolut.com/icebar