12 March 2-8, 2023 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents ▼ BEER BATH TIME FOR GROWNUPS FEEL THE NEED TO VISIT THE SILOS IN WACO? THERE’S A CZECH BEER SPA FOR THAT. BY KELLY DEARMORE I f you’ve been to the Magnolia Market in Waco for a bit of Chip and Joanna Gaines worship, it’s safe to say that you’ve asked yourself the same question we did the last time we were there, milling around the silos: Where’s the beer? Alcohol isn’t sold in any of the Magnolia’s retail outlets. The cupcakes at Silos Baking Co. are fantastic, but should you need a bit of liquid refreshment with a kick as you navi- gate the crowds, you’re out of luck. But now, at least, you don’t have to roam too far from the silos for a hoppy, drinkable souvenir. In fact, another question you can now ask when in downtown Waco is: Where can I bathe in beer around here? The answer to both questions is Pivovar, a Czech-inspired brewery, bakery, boutique hotel, restaurant and, yes, beer spa. “We’re just 67 steps away from Magnolia Market’s entrance,” says Steven Beseda, Piv- ovar’s CEO. A Waco native of Czech heri- tage, Beseda is proud to offer a dive into European beer culture to the Fixer Upper fans making the pilgrimage to Central Texas. To be clear, the beer spa at Pivovar (which means “brewer” in a few Slavic lan- guages) isn’t a day spa that happens to serve customers a brew or two during their treat- ments. This is a real-deal, slip into a tub of the good stuff sort of scenario. But it’s not actual beer, just the best parts of beer. “Our beer spas employ all the hallmarks of beer,” Beseda says. “The barley, the hops and yeast from our tanks get mixed into the hot water in the tub. It’s good for overall health and wellness, your skin and different ailments, and it has really taken off.” Open for just over a year, Pivovar was dreamed up a few years ago as a brewery. In 2015 Beseda was an Army lieutenant colonel stationed in Hawaii and nearing retirement. He had hopes of opening a Czech-style brewery in Waco, so he invited a group of prospective investors from the Czech Re- public to join him at West Fest, the long- running annual festival celebrating Czech heritage not too far from Waco. “That visit really put things over the top for us,” Beseda says. “Our investors weren’t aware that a Czech community existed in Texas. They were really shocked.” Soon thereafter, Beseda’s sister sent him some pictures from a traditional Czech beer spa while in Prague for her wedding. The pictures included a pair of large tubs filled with the core beer ingredients, with self-ser- vice beer taps stationed between them. It wasn’t something you saw much of, if at all, in Texas, he thought. He was sold on the idea almost immediately. “My sister influenced me, and I influ- enced our investors,” he says. In the United States, beer spas aren’t com- mon. Most American beer spas stray from the traditional Czech style to amp things up be- yond a warm tub of hops, barley and brewer’s yeast to include other ingredients. A recent Men’s Health article mentions the possible health benefits of a traditional beer spa, stating, “The low pH is said to tighten and soften hair follicles while cleansing hair and skin. Brewer’s yeast also claims to provide vitamin B, protein, potas- sium, iron, zinc and magnesium. The beer’s hops, meanwhile, are rich in antioxidants and alpha acids, while their oils and miner- als are promoted as having an anti-inflam- matory effect on joints and muscles.” Pivovar sticks to tradition, except in one way that can’t be avoided. State rules pro- hibit the use of self-service beer taps in the spa, so instead, guests can order a beer flight, a wine flight or even a cheese board to be de- livered room service-style to enjoy during the hour-long soak. Of Pivovar’s five house beer offerings, three of them are, naturally, of the traditional Czech variety: a pilsner, a dark lager and a Vienna lager. The hotel offers a spa room with two tubs on each of its four guest room floors. Guests can book a solo soak or book both tubs for a couple’s treatment. And don’t forget, if you’re not in a hurry to return to the alcohol- free Silos a few steps away, you can hang out in Pivovar’s beer garden and wonder if shi- plap is really all that awesome to begin with. City of Ate from p11 Steven Beseda/Pivovar Staff A pair of beer spa tubs with a beer flight inside Pivovar in Waco. Open Daily 11aM-2aM & SunDay 12pM-2aM 10723 COMpOSite Dr | (214) 350 - 0303 Dallas Open Daily 11aM-2aM & SunDay 12pM-2aM 2711 MajeSty Dr | (817) 640 - 8555 arlington Free Parking CheCk out our WeekLY BuFFet Free Buffet M- F: 11aM - 2pM | 4pM - 8pM *Dallas location only Full Menu available *both clubs $1 DrINkS 7oz WELL HIGHBALLS Daily til 9PM
