Venturing around Houston and supporting the local beer scene is always my number one priority. But there is a dirty, dark secret lurking somewhere in the shadows that occasionally rears its ugly head. Houston, I sometimes like to sneak away and go to other places on beer adventures.

Welcome to Houston Beer Guide: Road Trips, a new occasional series where the staff of HBG leave H-Town and come back with stories of breweries and beer-related adventures around Texas and beyond.

My first road trip took me to the Pivovar Waco Hotel, which offers two unique amenities that you will not often find in hotels or resorts anywhere: its own in-house brewery and a private spa suite that offers hour-long beer baths. That’s right… beer baths.

Pivovar first opened its doors in 2022 as a Czech-inspired hotel/brewpub that specializes in the art of old-world-style lagers. The brewery features a lineup of four beers on tap: a Vienna-style lager, a Dark Czech lager, the Premium Pilsner Lager, and the Light Pilsner Lager. Each beer has a low- to mid-range ABV to keep you hydrated but not falling off your bar stool.

The brewhouse is located between the restaurant and hotel portions of the building and is surrounded by clear glass so diners and hotel guests alike can see into the work area where the beer is brewed. Pivovar also carries a fully stocked bar for patrons who want to indulge in beverages beyond just their beer.

My indulgence of choice—and the reason for picking Pivovar for my stay—was to experience the private spa suite, where you can soak in a copper bathtub of “beer.” The copper tub is prepared ahead of your visit by hotel staff with a mixture of the main ingredients of beer (grains, yeast, and hops) along with other botanical herbs blended perfectly to make the bathwater come out the same color as a fresh pint of amber beer.

Everything you need for your adventure is considered and can be customized for your visit. Want to drink a cold pour or a flight while you soak? Some snacks to nibble on? You can even have music or background noise set up for your relaxation. The spa suite includes two copper tubs, which makes a great couples’ experience or an interesting adventure for two beer friends to share. A shower, private restroom, waffle cotton robes, and plenty of towels are all available in the suite.

The different ingredients in the spa mixture are claimed to help with, among other things, smoother skin, easing wrinkles, reducing muscle tension, and cleaning pores. After my visit, I did feel more relaxed, and my skin felt more hydrated and smoother. Having a cold pint of the Vienna lager during my soak didn’t hurt, either. The experience normally costs $200 for one hour, and any food or drink orders are an additional cost.

The Pivovar Hotel is located in downtown Waco on the west side of I-35, across from Baylor University, next to the renowned Magnolia Silos and Magnolia Market, and just two blocks south of the Dr Pepper Museum. This is the perfect weekend road trip to enjoy some great Czech-style beer, great food, and a relaxing spa experience that will make you forget the stresses waiting back home.

To book a stay and experience, or for details about the hotel, the brewery, and the beer spa, go to Pivovar.com.

Waco

Road Trips: Pivovar Hotel