FAQs
What is an ice bar?
Ice bars are life-sized, fully functional bars that are installed at events and used to serve drinks from. They can be as simple as a few heavy blocks of ice with a top to serve drinks on, or they could be much more complex affairs complete with luges and carved holders for bottles and garnishes.
How long will an ice bar last?
Ice bars can last up to 8-12 hours or even longer when kept in a room-temperature environment. They’re typically much larger than your average ice sculptures, which means they’re likely to have a longer lifespan. However, due to their transient nature, it is difficult to put an exact figure on this. When kept in a refrigerated environment (minimum 8°C) an ice bar can last for months.
Are ice bars sanitary?
Ice bars are constructing of constantly melting ice, and functionality is paramount to our ice bars, which is why we make use of Perspex platforms to keep bottles from slipping and provide plenty of space for bar staff to prepare drinks on. Thes can easily be wiped down during the event.
How does an ice bar work?
Our ice bars are constructed from blocks of ice that are 1 metre in length. Depending on your requirements we can carve in details or themed elements that tie into your event, or favour functionality over form, creating an interactive display that your guests can use to serve themselves drinks from.
Can I add a vodka luge onto an ice bar?
A vodka luge is the perfect addition to any ice bar as it gives guests that extra option when it comes to interacting with the ice itself. It’s one thing to order a drink from an ice bar, resting your hand on the sleek cooled surface, but it’s another altogether to drink cooled shots from a luge embedded into the bar.
How big are ice bars?
Ice bars can be as big you want them to be, however they all start at a minimum of 1 metre long. How big you’ll want your ice bar will depend on your budget, the size of your event and how much functionality you want to build into it. For example, a 1-metre ice bar will only be big enough to use as a drinks display, whereas an ice bar in excess of 2 metres will have more space for drinks preparation and will better suited for catering for to a larger crowd.
How long does it take to make an ice bar?
It can take between 12 hours and several days to make an ice bar depending on the size and complexity of the design. The components for the ice bar are usually carved weeks in advance and then stored in deep-freeze before being delivered in a refrigerated van to the event.
Who installs the ice bar and how is it cleaned up?
We typically carve the pieces for our ice bars up to several weeks before the event itself. We arrive a couple of hours before guest are due, then take some time to construct the ice bar on top of light boxes which collect the melt water from the ice as it melts as well as illuminating the bar from below.
Construction time depends on the size and complexity of the bar, this naturally impacts the time it takes to deconstruct the bar too. After your event, we’ll ensure that the ice is safely disposed of, and taking our light boxes with us as we go.