A “beer spa” has opened in Árskógssandur village, Northern Iceland.

Owned and operated by the Kaldi Brewery, the Bjórböðin spa offers members of the public the opportunity to take a bath in beer – or rather, a mixture of warm beer, water, yeast and hops – which is said to have a number of healing qualities.

“Bathing in young beer and live beer yeast, without showering it off until some hours later, has an extremely powerful effect on the body and skin,” a spokesperson for the spa said.

“This treatment is both cleansing for the skin and has a very positive effect on health.”

The spa features seven bathtubs made from natural hardwood and, while the bathing beer isn’t drinkable, each tub is fitted with a private beer draught – accessible for those over 20 years of age.

Following the 25-minute beer bath (each visit has an allotted time), guests can enjoy a further 25-minute session in a relaxation room, fitted with a fully-licensed bar.

The spa is housed in a 400sq m (4,306sq ft) lodge, which also features a 75-seat restaurant.

A spokesperson for Kaldi Brewery said: “We have seven tubs and each is available for one or two people at a time – so can have about 14 people each hour. There is no age limit for the beer bath because the bathwater is undrinkable, but those 16 years old and younger need to be accompanied with adults. We also have two outside hot tubs (with normal water) which take 8-10 people each.”

The opening of the spa is part of Kaldi Brewery’s strategy of diversifying its business.

Its beers are among the most popular in Iceland and the company is looking to build on the popularity by attracting beer-related tourism to its home in Árskógssandur.