Stockholm's Absolute Ice Bar
Is Absolutely Out of this World
And Then You Arrive at the Arctic Circle
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 enhances 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.

From Stockholm it's a must to visit the Arctic Circle and the Ice Hotel. No two people will express their feelings about Sweden's Ice Hotel in the same way. It will affect each person differently. From the rooms, all designed and creatively carved of ice by international artists, to the hotel itself melting away every year as the thaw sets in, the unique experience of the Ice Hotel is that you will never experience it again, in that same way.

But that is now, what about then, as in when it all began?

Sweden -2 (Continue)