Dudes are hard to shop for -- there, I said it. When you're in a bind and need a gift for a female friend, you can always stop in at Yankee Candles or Bath and Body Works -- even if they aren't into that stuff, cultural norms say these are acceptable gifts they have to at least pretend to like.
But give a guy a linen scented candle and he's gonna look at you like you're crazy -- even if he secretly loves it. (And how could he not? It smells like clean laundry!)
But a beer based spa treatment? That could be a fun dude gift.
Gayle Wentworth is the owner of The Maui Spa and Wellness Center in Boca Raton. She is also the sister of Greg Wentworth who owns Big Bear Brewing Company in Coral Springs. So, it's actually kind of a mystery why it took so very long for this two worlds to come together, but they finally have. The Maui Spa now offers baths, scrubs, and body wraps made from the very same ingredients that turn into lovely beer.
"They've been doing beer baths in Europe for centuries, it's very popular over there," says Wentworth. "And the idea was in the back of my mind for a while and I woke up at 4 a.m. and turned on the T.V. and there it was again, beer baths. And I was just like, ugh, this is a sign."
So, of course, she called up her brother Greg who handed her over to Big Bear's head brewer, Jeff Evans.
"The different hops that I give her vary because it depends on what beer I'm brewing," says Evans. "Usually I throw it away, so I collect it out of the brew kettle for them. Spent hops, spent grain; this is the after product of the beer making process - they say it has nutrients and essential oils and all that."
After playing around with some different recipes, they were pretty happy with the results.
"We're just using all the ingredients that make beer and we started testing it out at our house and we were amazed at how soft our hair and our skin is," says Wentworth. "The hops exfoliates and the grains add vitamins, so the end results are amazing. Everything is so soft. We put it in our hair and you didn't even need conditioner. It has vitamins and proteins and antioxidants. It exfoliates the skin and then fortifies the skin with protein and antioxidants."
But just like actual beer, Wentworth insists that the treatments have effects beyond making you more beautiful on the outside. (Beer does that, right?)
"It's good for insomnia, anxiety, nervousness; you get the effect when you're finished. Its a hypnotic effect, so plan to spend some time relaxing on our rooftop garden for a while."
While Wentworth says that beer treatments are popular in Europe -- especially Austria and Germany -- she couldn't find another spa offering the treatments here in Florida.
The beer bath is $80, the beer body wrap is $110 for 50 minutes or $140 for 80 minutes, and the beer body scrub is $65.
All the products are also available for purchase so you can create your own spa experience at home. Gift certificates are also available.
And hey, do you have a beer loving couple in your life? Maybe not for those new couples though.
The Maui Spa is located at 2100 N.W. Boca Raton Blvd., Boca Raton. Call 888-806-8933, or visit themauispa.com.
You can contact Rebecca McBane, Arts & Culture Editor/Food Blog Editor/Beer Bath Curious at [email protected].
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