Vodka on the rocks

The Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden is one of the wonders of our age. It's therefore doubly disappointing to see the ugly franchise it has spawned, namely the Absolut Ice Bar concept. When Ice Hotel founder Yngve Bergqvist opened the first Ice Bar in Stockholm's Nordic Sea Hotel in June 2002, it was a beautiful idea: Arctic purity in the heart of the city. Three years and 15 ice bars later and the thaw has defintely started. After all, there is nothing cool about pre-booked groups of tourists traipsing in and out of a 'Starbucks with vodka' that could be in Milan, London or anywhere. Let it be a real bar or let it be nothing. How's that for purity?