Beer can now join items such as bubble bath, loofahs and rubber ducks in the tub.

Bathbeer, brewed by Klosterbrauerei Neuzelle GmbH in Neuzelle, Germany, claims it has created a beer designed to slow the aging process.

The label on the beer reads, "Sip one while you take a bath, or, like we do in Germany, add it directly to your bath water."

Either way, added vitamins, minerals and an algae called spirulina aid in stimulating blood circulation, tightening "loose skin" and keeping the immune system strong, according to the brewery's Web site, www.klosterbrauerei.com/neuzelle. And like with any other beer, the brewery warns consumers it is possible to become drunk from drinking enough Bathbeer.

Bathbeer has been available in the United States since 2002, but is building in popularity, according to Chrissy Mercer, marketing assistant for Manneken-Brussel Imports, Inc., an Austin, Texas-based distributor of the beer.

Mercer said the beer is being distributed most recently in the western part of the United States and is growing in popularity.

The beer is sold in half-liter bottles for approximately $3 and is described as "dark, slightly roasty, with a pleasantly herbal flavor" in a beer menu provided by Lanny Hoff, vice president of sales and marketing at Artisanal Imports, Inc., a distributor in Minneapolis.

Hoff said similar beers have been made in Germany since the 16th Century and were revived there in the late 1980s and early 1990s as present day Beerbath.

"The beer is distributed across most of the United States," Hoff said. "It's not in a lot of bars though because it's not a package that's bar friendly in a half-liter bottle."

Bathbeer is sold in mostly independent stores, Hoff said. Discount Liquor, 5031 W. Oklahoma Ave., sells the beer.

Marie Greguska, beer manager at Discount Liquor, said Beerbath sells relatively well for being a "higher end micro-brew from Germany."

"The consumer base is probably ages 30 to 50," Greguska said. "Someone who is a little more knowledgeable and well read about beer versus the average beer customer."

Barbara Troy, an adjunct assistant professor of biomedical sciences, did not dismiss the possibility of Bathbeer having advantageous effects on the body, but said she is bothered by the fact the brewery's Web site does not list any amounts of the vitamins or minerals contained in the beer.

"The other thing that bothers me is the fact that is seems to be a gimmick to justify beer drinking," Troy said. "I would be more careful about drinking this stuff than bathing in it. If you are drinking it, you have no idea what levels of this stuff you are taking in."

However, Hoff said even though he "doubts anyone has bathed in it on this side of the ocean," there are at least two spas in Germany that offer beer baths, and he has taken one.

Amy Lulich, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said she has drank imported beers before, but has never heard of Bathbeer.

"There are a lot of products marketed to say you can extend your life, make your skin look better or hide the signs of aging, but I think a lot of them are a hoax," Lulich said.

Ryan Hansen, a senior in the College of Business Administration, said he would be interested in trying a beer with health advantages.

"It would be nice to be able to do something I enjoy while knowing I am benefiting from it," Hansen said.

This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on Dec. 2 2004.