Entry No. 94 — the Chicago file — filed under: soak
Piva Beer Spa
Chicago's only beer spa: private wooden tubs filled with warm water infused with hops, dark beer extract and brewer's yeast that you soak in like a stein, followed by a Himalayan halotherapy salt room and steam sauna.
The story
Co-owner Dino Sarancic opened Piva in 2019 alongside his father after traveling through Eastern Europe and experiencing traditional beer bathhouses firsthand. Set along Milwaukee Avenue on the border of Wicker Park and Noble Square, it opened as Chicago's first—and still only—dedicated beer spa.
The premise sounds like a frat-house dare until you examine what goes into the tubs. You are not floating in cold, flat draught beer; you are stewing in private wooden tubs filled with 98-degree thermal water blended with hops, dark beer extract, barley, and brewer's yeast. The mix acts as a cocktail of B vitamins and antioxidants, off-gassing an herbal, earthy aroma while softening your skin.
The space extends well beyond the tubs into Old World thermal recovery. After your soak, the circuit moves through a steam room and sauna, followed by a Himalayan halotherapy salt room lined in pink salt crust for deep breathing, and a quiet relaxation room outfitted with custom wooden beds layered in real hay.
What it's like
You arrive by appointment at the Milwaukee Avenue storefront, swap your clothes for a robe and slippers, and get guided into a private room dominated by deep wooden tubs. The water smells strongly of roasted grain and hops, and while you cannot drink the bathwater, you can sip an actual beer or nibble a charcuterie board resting on a tray across your tub. After thirty minutes of simmering, staff walk you through the rest of the circuit: sweating in the steam room and sauna, cooling off in the salt room, and lounging on hay beds. Book a weeknight slot in advance if you want to avoid date-night congestion.
The move: Book a private beer-tub soak for two, then drift into the salt room afterward — an appointment-only hour that starts as a joke and ends genuinely relaxing.
- 📍 Wicker Park / East Village
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Indoor or outdoor
Where: 1052 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60642
Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Shit Fountain — After marinating in hops and brewer's yeast, walk a few blocks south to pay unironic respects to a bronze pet-waste monument.
- Bordel — Trade your spa robe for velvet speakeasy booths hidden above Mama Delia, reached via a clandestine door and leopard-print stairwell.
- Dorian's Through the Record Shop — Continue the evening of hidden entrances by flipping through vinyl in a front storefront before passing through a listening booth to reach the bar behind it.
- Intuit Art Museum (Henry Darger Room) — Pair the bodily oddity of a barley-and-yeast soak with a visit down the street to view outsider art and Henry Darger's preserved living quarters.
Good to know
Are you actually soaking in drinkable beer?
No. The tubs are filled with 98-degree water mixed with raw brewing ingredients—hops, dark beer extract, barley, and brewer's yeast—rather than carbonated commercial beer.
Can you drink alcohol during your visit?
Yes. While you soak in brewing ingredients, you can drink actual beer or other beverages served to your tub, or order snacks like charcuterie.
What treatments and amenities are included?
Packages typically include a private beer soak, access to the steam room and sauna, a halotherapy session in the Himalayan salt room, and access to the hay-bed relaxation room.
Do you need to book ahead?
Yes, Piva Beer Spa operates strictly by appointment.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · sweatlocal.net · wnep.com · washingtonpost.com · Reddit
last checked: 2026-07-19