Minus5 Ice Bar: The Coolest Experience

Minus5 Ice Bar: The Coolest ExperienceJust because I write for 1001 Bottles doesn’t mean I don’t like other spirits. For instance, I love a good bottle of wine. Or a nice glass of scotch. Nothing beats a dirty martini. And I won’t turn down a frozen margarita. I’m not an alcoholic; I just find a lot of the adult beverages out there are delicious, regardless of their alcohol content. I take my martinis stirred, never shaken with two bleu cheese olives if you have them.

While we were in Las Vegas, Sheryl and I wanted to visit a vodka bar. Not just a bar that is made of ice, but a room that is literally made of ice. Think an igloo that serves drink! We were in luck, as there are several of these scattered around the strip. The best one (which we couldn’t afford) is located at Red Square, a Russian themed restaurant inside Mandalay Bay. We did eat dinner there, but to get access to their vodka bar you must buy the entire bottle of vodka, usually starting around $300 for bottle service.

We ended up skipping the vodka bar at Red Square and settled on Minus5 Ice Bar. This bar is also located inside Mandalay Bay. On top of that, we also found a coupon online before we left. So not only did we get a great (better yet freezing) experience, but we saved a ton of dough while doing it.

Man It’s Cold in Here

Before you go in, you are handed snow boots, gloves, and a parka. You can even upgrade your package and get a hood if you like. We skipped the hoods, and just went for the base package. It was the one on our coupon, anyway.

You start out getting dressed in your gear. You also, before going in, must leave all your belongings in a locker. They give you the key, but still. They do this so you don’t use your cell phone to take pictures. Come to find out, they take a bunch of pictures of you in the room then try to sell them to you for $20 once you leave.

After we were all dressed up, we headed into another room that was about 55 degrees. Then we moved into a room that was near freezing. Then… then it got real cold. The room that we ended up in, the room with the bar is minus five degrees… Celsius. That is MUCH colder than minus five degrees Fahrenheit. Hence the name, I suppose.

Getting a “Free” Drink

With your package, you get a free drink inside the bar. That’s the point, really. When I said that everything is made of ice… I meant it. The bar is made of ice. The chairs you sit on are made of ice. The glasses you drink from are made of ice. Everything! There are several statues around the bar that are made of ice too, including a HUGE polar bear.

They have a list of drinks for you to choose from, all made with vodka. Even if you don’t like vodka, you can still enjoy a drink as they have a full bar offering gin, whiskey, and more. No beer though, as that would freeze. (I wonder if the bartender gets cold pouring drinks all day in these kinds of temperatures.)

While we enjoyed our drinks, we had our picture taken a few times. Again, those can be purchased once you leave. It’s funny though; since it’s so cold people want to get their pictures taken in weird and uncomfortable situations. For instance… getting your picture taken in your underwear. We didn’t do that. Not going to say I didn’t want to though…

Saying Goodbye to a Freezing Cold Experience

I have to admit, the experience was pretty cool. I think it’s a bit overpriced, but everything is Vegas is anymore. It’s funny how I used to go to Vegas and thrive on $3 buffets and complimentary drinks. Oh well, those days are long gone and in this economy, even Sin City is suffering.

As we said goodbye, and said no to $20 photos, we took some time to sit by the fire to warm up. Too bad the fire was a DVD playing on a flat screen TV! The couches were comfy, though.

If you ever make it to Las Vegas, and want to experience this I highly recommend it. It’s fun, you get a “free” drink, and get to party in the coldest room around. I really do want to see the vodka bar at Red Square though. Maybe one day! I still enjoyed Minus5… the coolest experience. Literally!