I was thinking about my Antarctica trip recently, and how I managed to drink in 4 different places on the trip (OK I'm cheating as three of them were onboard the boat!!!). But I thought I'd give all you Antarctic bound travellers some tips on how you can drink in Antarctica, yes there is even a bar there, there is even a Happy Hour and drinking in Antarctica is part of the experience to the world's southern most continent. Here's my Top 6 places to drink in Antarctica (of which I drank in only 4 of them, as sadly 2 of them we didn't visit)! One of my favourite Thirsty Thursdays to date.
1. Antarctica Drinking - on Antarctica itself
OK so strictly speaking this is illegal as you should take only water with you on your treks. But on our last landing in Antarctica, myself and 5 others all took a drink each onto the land to toast to our amazing trip. We chose either wine or beer and burst them open by some rocks near the Henry Arctowski Polish Station at Admiralty Bay on King George Island. It is probably the best place I have ever had a beer. Just there in the wilderness with penguins in behind. A must for drinking in Antarctica!
2. Alcohol in Antarctica - a drink on the deck of the boat!
With snowstorms on board the boat and epic views of the landscape, while cruising down the cold continent I can't think of anything better to do than have a beer and admire the views. A great place to relax - even if it is freezing! At least you won't have to keep your beer cold!
3. Drinking in Antarctica: Onboard Bar at Happy Hour
For the budget travellers this is a great option. Each excursion to Antarctica will of course be different, but ours had a Happy Hour from 5 - 6pm every day in the Lounge Bar. This also coincided with the daily gathering of everyone on board in the lounge to discuss the day's events and plan ahead for tomorrow. Our ship, the MS Expedition had two onboard bars and alcohol was available normally after 4pm on each day. There were 3 places to buy booze onboard, these were the two onboard bars and the restaurant:
- The lounge bar on board the boat is open from 4pm - 7pm normally.
- The Polar Bear Bar was open from around 8pm until closing time (whenever you wanted to stop drinking)
At dinner time in the on-board restaurant you can also enjoy a drink.
4. Alcohol in Antarctica - take your own booze
Again the cheapskate option and this is the one I used mostly - even the beer I took onto Antarctic land to drink was bought in Argentina and brought on board. There is no real limit on the amount of alcohol you bring onboard, but if you suffer from sea sickness, please note that the Drake Passage is the roughest stretch of water in the world, so you want to avoid the booze on that part of the trip! I brought my own beer and wine and drank it in the cabin or sneaked it into the bar (hardly a big deal considering you've paid loads for this trip!!).
5. Drinking in Antarctica: The Bar at the Ukranian Vernadskiy Station
You can visit an actual bar in Antarctica, which is just amazing and will totally make your trip complete if you like a drink. At the Ukrainian Vernadskiy Station they have a bar which even has a vodka which is made in Antarctica. Cheers!
6. Drinking in Antarctica: A Pint at the South Pole
If you ever make it to the South Pole, how amazing would it be to have a drink right there - at the bottom of the world. Get a beer and toast to a mega achievement in your life!
Imagine having a beer at the South Pole!
If you have managed to do all six of these I salute you!! I was happy with the four I managed to get in on my amazing Antarctica adventure back in 2010.
1. Antarctica Drinking - on Antarctica itself
OK so strictly speaking this is illegal as you should take only water with you on your treks. But on our last landing in Antarctica, myself and 5 others all took a drink each onto the land to toast to our amazing trip. We chose either wine or beer and burst them open by some rocks near the Henry Arctowski Polish Station at Admiralty Bay on King George Island. It is probably the best place I have ever had a beer. Just there in the wilderness with penguins in behind. A must for drinking in Antarctica!
2. Alcohol in Antarctica - a drink on the deck of the boat!
With snowstorms on board the boat and epic views of the landscape, while cruising down the cold continent I can't think of anything better to do than have a beer and admire the views. A great place to relax - even if it is freezing! At least you won't have to keep your beer cold!
3. Drinking in Antarctica: Onboard Bar at Happy Hour
For the budget travellers this is a great option. Each excursion to Antarctica will of course be different, but ours had a Happy Hour from 5 - 6pm every day in the Lounge Bar. This also coincided with the daily gathering of everyone on board in the lounge to discuss the day's events and plan ahead for tomorrow. Our ship, the MS Expedition had two onboard bars and alcohol was available normally after 4pm on each day. There were 3 places to buy booze onboard, these were the two onboard bars and the restaurant:
- The lounge bar on board the boat is open from 4pm - 7pm normally.
- The Polar Bear Bar was open from around 8pm until closing time (whenever you wanted to stop drinking)
At dinner time in the on-board restaurant you can also enjoy a drink.
4. Alcohol in Antarctica - take your own booze
Again the cheapskate option and this is the one I used mostly - even the beer I took onto Antarctic land to drink was bought in Argentina and brought on board. There is no real limit on the amount of alcohol you bring onboard, but if you suffer from sea sickness, please note that the Drake Passage is the roughest stretch of water in the world, so you want to avoid the booze on that part of the trip! I brought my own beer and wine and drank it in the cabin or sneaked it into the bar (hardly a big deal considering you've paid loads for this trip!!).
5. Drinking in Antarctica: The Bar at the Ukranian Vernadskiy Station
You can visit an actual bar in Antarctica, which is just amazing and will totally make your trip complete if you like a drink. At the Ukrainian Vernadskiy Station they have a bar which even has a vodka which is made in Antarctica. Cheers!
6. Drinking in Antarctica: A Pint at the South Pole
If you ever make it to the South Pole, how amazing would it be to have a drink right there - at the bottom of the world. Get a beer and toast to a mega achievement in your life!
Imagine having a beer at the South Pole!
If you have managed to do all six of these I salute you!! I was happy with the four I managed to get in on my amazing Antarctica adventure back in 2010.
About the Author:
For endless stuff like Drinking in Antarctica visit Don't Stop Living, the worldwide website of Jonny Blair for endless tales and tips.. This article, Where To Drink In Antarctica is available for free reprint.
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