Asbury Park Beer Garden Offers A Little Ice WIth That Drink

Asbury Park, NJ - It is beginning to look a lot like winter and to that end, the Festhalle Biergarten is renewing its rooftop igloos for the discerning or cold-blooded patrons.

The igloos first emerged earlier this year when the Lake Avenue beer garden followed an international trend of offering the ice houses for private parties. According to their advertisement, the igloos are perfect for birthday parties for guests of all ages, bachelor or bachelorette parties, anniversaries or just for the fun of it.

"The people have spoken...and the igloos will be back until March," reads an announcement on the festhalle website.

Igloo season gets under way Dec. 28 and information or reservations are available by calling 732-997-8767 of info#Asburybiergarten.com.

From inside the rooftop igloos, diners may enjoy a meal high above Lake Avenue while watching the sun set. Each igloo holds up to 10 people and while prices for the season are not yet listed, the cost last winter was $200 for three hours. Small platters of food and drinks, including pots of hot toddies, buckets of beer and bottle service, are a la carte. Reservations are required 48 hours in advance.

According to the travel site, Lonely Planet, igloos are becoming one of the things in which to party. The New York spot 230 Fifth has opened a series of igloos on the top of its roof, allowing visitors to enjoy a drink with a view without freezing. Their igloos seat 11 people but no reservations are taken so it is first-come, first-serve there for 30 degree views of the city.

A restaurant on the Thames in London also introduced pop-up igloos in 2016 where guests can enjoy a drink or their food while checking out The Tower Bridge. The Coppa Club igloos are available for private hire or walk-ins, and are furnished and lit, with blankets and speakers to keep visitors warm and entertained, according to the Lonely Planet.

If drinking and eating don't quite complete the igloo experience, there are a variety of glass igloos where people can spend the night. In Finland, a resort offers winter packages where visitors can sleep under the Northern Lights and go on a reindeer safari.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland is competing with transparent bubble domes that give thge illusion of sleeping amid winter forests.

Reindeers graze atop environmentally friendly igloos in San Francisco. Photograph by Eric Risberg/Associated Press.