ICEBAR Orlando

HALLOWEEN 2011

2011-11-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

HALLOWEEN 2011

And here is our SCARY staff. It was an EPIC party.

Click the link to see our Halloween Animoto Video. It was a BLOODY RUSSIAN Night on Friday

Stay tuned for HOWL-O-FREEZE photos

Enjoy and BOOOOOO

Icebar Orlando cuts the heat off

2011-08-27T10:53:00.000-07:00

Icebar Orlando cuts the heat off
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/multimedia/osvideo-icebar-orlando-summer-heat-20110822,0,595704.premiumvideo

IT'S NEW AND IMPROVED

2011-08-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

Icebar Orlando was sculptured in 2008 by Aaron Costic, world class ice carver with the help of local company Ice Magic. The design and construction were by Patz Turner, AKA Ice Queen.

After three years, and over 125,000 visitors, the ice has taken a licking (literally) and was ready for a renewall.
Enter our new carvers ICE PRO from Parrish Florida. Thanks to Laz for being persistent and showing us the way to the best for us. Joe Rimer and his crew has built us an amazing bar built on our next expedition.

Come see the results - still in progress, and photos to follow!

PHEW IT WAS A BUSY MONTH!

2011-02-25T11:42:00.000-08:00

Icebar Orlando is proud to have provided corporate events for the best in the business companies attending the HIMSS convention this month.
WWT - World Wide Technology was an amazing event with all the stops pulled out for their guests and sponsors from an array of providers.

We are tired, and going to rest our feet for a couple of days!

TripAdvisor Promotes Blackmail

2011-01-26T11:38:00.001-08:00

The new social media is a boon for a lot of companies. It also brings out some of the worst in a few customers. It also allows posting sites to promote blackmail and allow postings that are clearly untrue. I think they should be shut down.

A new and very disturbing practice is for a customer to say:
If you don't do this for me, I am going to post a bad review and make you sorry.

First Case: Customer purchased discount ticket from offsite ticket booth, made reservation and then did not show up. Came the next day when there was a private event, dressed in tattered jeans and t shirts. The even was a semi-formal cocktail party for a corporation. We did not let them in with the corporate clients, and they stood in the middle of the door shouting that they should be let in to have the same food and free drinks because they would write a bad review. We have 6 witnesses. They wrote a bad review, the only one they have ever posted, and did not even put their name or legit email address. TripAdvisor refused to remove it, even though we sent proof that the customer got a refund from the ticket seller, and explained our policy which is clearly written on the ticket, copied the ticket, too.

Second Case: Customer bought lowest price package for New Years Eve, then wanted to be allowed to enter with the VIP group who paid $100 each MORE into the Icebar at midnight, saying their cell phone was there, and the whole group needed to go find it. We told them the phone was at the reception, and have video showing them picking it up there. They threatened bad review if we did not refund their entire NYE tickets (they stayed 3 hours more and had open bar and all the food they could stack on plates ). This was a week later. We refused, and showed the threatening email and offered the video as proof. Trip Advisor states:
We have looked at the review in question and determined that it does meet TripAdvisor's listing criteria. Therefore, it will not be removed.

So I asked for my business page to be removed. I am not in the process of filing a suit to have all of our logos and photos removed from this site, we don't support blackmail, and this is a site that should be shunned by those wanting realistic reviews.

We're not perfect, but we are not what these blackmailers have said. Lies and defamatory emails don't help, and TripAdvisor gets a BIG BLACK EYE from Icebar Orlando.

A Lesson in Undressin! The Art of the Tease

2011-01-13T03:54:00.000-08:00

NEW AND FABULOUS AT ICEBAR

BURLESQUE - The Art of the Tease.

Lessons start Wednesday, January 19, and every two weeks after - come and find your inner sensual Lady. Burlesque is more about what you leave on and less about what you take off. We will teach you how to tease, how to become more confident and how to use your body.

It's an art for every size, every shape and every lady to learn. A lesson in undressin, starts at 8:00 SHARP! Recommend a tight black top and shorts or skirts with fishnet hose - don't forget your heels! Feather Boa's are Optional!

Ladies, lots of free drinks and lots of new confidence. In two weeks we will do another class in Sensual Dance - and teach you all about Sex Appeal. Come, learn, then practice your new arts on the totally unsuspecting men in your life. ENJOY YOUR SELF!

BACK TO ANTARCTICA

2010-12-29T05:58:00.000-08:00

http://www.usap.gov/videoclipsandmaps/palwebcam.cfm

The start of Icebar Orlando was a fascination for the Florida and California natives with the land of ice and snow. Our partner, Wylie is back in Antarctica for another round of chilling adventures. Here are some of his photos, and the link above takes you to the webcam of the US Government research facility Palmer Station, manned in the summer by scientists and interns to study the area.

A view of the ship in the background, getting ashore is by zodiac, and sitting on the side in the water is COLD!

Rockhopper penguin and her baby, or it could be His baby, they take turns getting food and keeping the chick warm.

They are little guys, but the do eat a LOT of fish, and they smell, well, pretty fishy.

This is south of where our adopted penguin lives, Ice Ice Baby is a couple of hundred miles north of this location.

Inside the arctic circle it is the most hostile environment on earth, the weather changes very quickly. This looks lovely, but yesterday it was 60 mph winds and chill factor in the minus degrees.
Take care Wylie, we have a cold one waiting in sunny (relatively speaking) Florida.

ICE ICE BABY 2010

2010-12-22T08:59:00.000-08:00

Dear Icebar Orlando

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Ice Ice Baby, and all of us here on Magdalena Island in Chile. Egg losses here have been high this year, due to the continuation of the drought which is now entering its second year.

For more than a year Magdalena Island has been in the grip of a fierce drought which has killed off virtually all the grass. The loss of most of the grass means that loose soil is now being blown across the island day after day by the strong Patagonian winds, and the penguin burrows gradually get buried by the loose sandy soil. With winds of up to 140 km per hour, burrows can disappear completely during a single night, and in some areas, the situation is so bad that small sand dunes have formed where penguin burrows used to be.

The adult penguins don't get trapped, because they are able to dig themselves out, but the nest becomes abandoned when that happens. The adopted penguins like Ice Ice Baby are truly fortunate in being visited and protected on a regular basis during the current conditions.

Regular visits to each of our adopted penguins means that we are able to clear away the accumulating soil each time we visit the nest, but only a few hundred burrows are actually marked as adopted penguins. Magdalena Island as a whole had around 65,000 nests at the start of the season, and there is no way that a handful of people can regularly visit more than a few hundred burrows. Indeed, we have been trying to expand our adoption programme this season, so as to be able to do more on Magdalena Island during this drought.

It is not just the man-power required either. Adopted penguins have their nests marked with 24" aluminium poles bearing the name chosen by the adoptees, such as yourself. Preparing and locating the poles is a lengthy process, but in addition to enabling us to identify each penguin, these poles allow us to find burrows even if they have been buried by drifting sand and soil. Without such markers to show the location of the burrows, it is not even possible for us to know where the burrows were prior to being covered, making rescue impossible, even if we did have enough manpower to visit all the non-adopted burrows.

But with regular monitoring to keep the burrows free of soil, and markers to locate the burrows if they become buried, our adopted penguins have still fared well. The eggs have hatched, and the nest belonging to Ice Ice Baby now contains two small chicks.

Now that the chicks have hatched, they are at the most vulnerable time of their lives. Just like human babies, penguin babies are unable to move around by themselves, and depend entirely on Ice Ice Baby for warmth, protection and food.

Chicks as small as this are unable to produce their own body heat, so they have to be kept warm by Ice Ice Baby lying over them, just like with the eggs. However there are dangers involved with this. Whilst the eggs are round and protected by a hard shell, making them difficult to stand on, the chicks are not. It is quite common for penguin parents to accidentally stand on their chicks whilst squabbling with a neighbour, or defending the nest from a predator. It can occasionally be like having a small baby lying on the floor in a very small boxing ring, whilst the boxers are too involved in the fight to think about where the baby is.

The parents also remain in the nest with the eggs and small chicks for such long periods of time, without food because their food is at sea, that they spend much of the time dozing to save energy. They are sufficiently alert to awake if a neighbour or predator gets too close to the nest, but sometimes fail to notice if a chick has rolled away from the centre of the nest, leaving it exposed to the cold. Being unable to move around themselves, the chicks are unable to save themselves when that happens, and rely entirely on the vigilance of the parents.

But the chicks grow very rapidly, and within 10 to 15 days they have changed considerably. Firstly, they have developed the ability to walk, which enables them to get out of the way of their parents' feet to avoid being stood on, and enables them to seek warmth and protection underneath the parent whenever they feel the need. Secondly, the chicks are now able to produce their own body warmth, which means they no longer rely on the parents for warmth. Finally, the chicks are now much more robust, and are able to withstand being stood on without sustaining injury. As a result, chick mortality can be quite high during the first two weeks of life, but that reduces considerable once the chicks are a couple of weeks old.

For the reasons explained above, we are not yet able to take photos of the chicks.

To manoeuvre the adult penguin around in the nest to get a photo of the chicks hiding underneath would put the chicks at risk from being trampled, and it would also be almost impossible to get good photos like that. So we wait until late January to take the photos of the chicks. In this respect we are like doctors, following an oath to first do no harm. Our first priority is always to do nothing that could harm the penguins we are monitoring and protecting.

The drought has been unique to Magdalena Island, caused by strange weather patterns within the Straits of Magellan. Our colonies in Argentina have not been suffering from any drought, and they have so far shown the lowest egg losses ever recorded since records began, so that is really good news from those colonies. Hopefully this success will continue throughout the chick-rearing stage. The last two years in Argentina have been excellent, with very high breeding success and chick-survival, and this year could be even better if things continue.

I will write to you again in about four weeks, by which time your chicks should be taking short walks outside of the nest, enabling us to get a photo without causing a disturbance. In the meantime, I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Best wishes

Mike

NEW YEARS EVE 2011

2010-12-09T04:37:00.000-08:00

It's almost time for ICE BALL

And we are OFF to ring in the New Year in Icebar Orlando style once again. Last year's party was great, this year we are adding a LOT of value for the buck. It's our stimulus package for a great year in Orlando.

For $40 you get the whole party, midnight buffet, Icebar, use of cape and gloves, your picture in a keychain to take home, the sounds of Docta Dawe Orlando's #1 DJ, and Nate Hill, our #1 video DJ - who just last night installed another new screen - it's a great show of sound and fun.

We are also toasting the new year with champagne, your choice of brut or rose' and if you like, there is an option to upgrade to an open bar package.

Questions? Call 407-426-7555 and talk to us! Book early, we are selling out quickly.

No Groupons or coupons on this night and you Must be 21 to enter all night long. Sorry young 'un's but this is a night for the Majors!

CELL PHONES FOR SOLDIERS

2010-12-07T05:04:00.000-08:00

It's the season for giving, and we are hosting our second annual Cell Phones for Soldiers party at Icebar Orlando. Bring a gently used cellphone, and we will give YOU a free entry into the icebar ($19.95 regular price). We will also have snacks, music, dancing, prizes and a heck of a party all night in honor of our troops.

Each phone is sent to be re-used or for parts, and the company gives a calling card that is sent to a soldier far from home. The gift of hearing the voice of their families is very much appreciated by these soldiers.

DECEMBER 11 STARTING AT 8:00 PM
21+

News from the Charity www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com

Dear friends and supporters,

As we position Cell Phones for Soldiers for future success, we felt that a regular e-newsletter was in order…so welcome to the first edition!

At least quarterly, Cell Phones for Soldiers will issue updates on the many activities taking place to support the men and women serving in the U.S. military.

In 2011, a challenging yet achievable goal of serving 750,000 soldiers has been set. With your help, that goal is possible so please donate today. Cell Phones for Soldiers thrives on cash donations and the recycling of gently-used mobile phones.

Since 2004, Cell Phones for Soldiers has provided more than 90 million minutes of free talk time to the troops and kept more than 7.5 million cell phones out of landfills.

This mission could not be fulfilled without the generosity and dedication of our friends and supporters. We truly appreciate you and look forward to another successful year.

Many thanks,

The Bergquist Family Founders, Cell Phones for Soldiers

ITALIAN SKYSCANNER MAGAZINE

2010-11-27T17:52:00.000-08:00

It's a pretty good translation, but this is from the Italian Skyscanner Magazine talking about the best in the world! Icebar Orlando is proud to be with this group of great ice bars.

Travel News

Friday, November 26, 2010

These days with snow in some Italian cities are a clear sign that winter is coming, and it freezes. Now why do not identify with a polar climate, and perhaps enjoy a few cocktails? Skyscanner investigates the festive side of the ice.

Stockholm

It is called Absolut Icebar and is a place where ice and design are the masters. Built with pure ice from the Torne River, the concept of playing the local aquatic environment, offering visitors a thrilling (in all senses) in an enigmatic submarine environment. People are always fascinated by water in all its forms, that perception has inspired sculptors dell'Absolut, but not limited to bartenders and waiters also have a dress code that invokes the theme of the underwater world.

Rome

Ice Club - RomaAnche the capital of Italy has his own restaurant and the ice is called Ice Club Designed by a team of artists as well as sculptors came from England, the place is completely frozen from walls, chairs, sofas and bar . The temperature is fixed at 5 ° below zero and the atmosphere is magic, enhanced by light, its fur and seating that makes the room welcoming and comfortable ... If well covered! The Ice pub is located in Rome at Via della Madonna dei Monti, close to the magnificent Colosseum. Virtually all the airlines go through Heathrow, starting from cheaper, why not take advantage?

London

The City could not be outdone, in fact, also the first English town has its Icebar London. Even with the glasses you drink the cocktails are pure ice and for about 40 minutes you can enjoy this atmosphere to below zero, but without hibernation, the entry will be given a warm cape. Located in the busy and hectic Heddon Street, a visit to the famous London Icebar is worth it. Both day and night is an unforgettable experience. One more reason to search for flights to London.

Orlando

We pass on to other dimensions, the Icebar Orlando is the largest ice bar in the world. Lights incredible caves, frozen and crazy music, here are all the ingredients to spend a crazy night 'Arctic'. Each visitor has 45 minutes to enjoy the frozen thrones and chairs, take part in a 'P' to the North Pole, complete with thrilling stories. Again, there will still be required to provide the heat, the gloves in a blanket. Who wants to be able to purchase the mascot or the Penguin Pizz.

Shanghai

Served about 45 tons of ice came directly from Sweden, to build and decorate the first Ice Bar in Asia. The bar is located all'Infinity Plaza Central Huaihai Road, and along with its 100 square meters can accommodate about 60 people at a time. Here too, the Swedish touch is missing, both in design and type of reception. I wonder if we also add a hotel of ice?

New Years Eve 2011

2010-11-21T09:53:00.001-08:00

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7760175/

When I get up early on a Sunday, I sometimes amuse myself by making funny videos. Love this one!
There is more to the party, and it is a bargain this year. $40 each, with the best in music, food, entertainment. Our resident magician, Chris, will be here, all our amazing staff will be on hand to make it an epic event for you to ring in the New Year. Join us

THE ELVES ARE HERE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

2010-11-11T08:06:00.000-08:00

Icebar Orlando has been busy, working to make the Holidays special for us, and for our friends in the Military Services. We are hosting another Cellphone for Soldiers party at Icebar, and in honor of all our armed services overseas have made a little video for their amusement.

Stay tuned for the details, but watch this for the fun. This year starring Stephanie, Julio, Sean #2 and Bud!

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/WDE4ErSOeSMHeNC8vTnw

PENGUIN LOVE

2010-11-08T18:07:00.001-08:00

ICEBAR Orlando serves Little Penguin Wine. Each bottle supports the Penguin Foundation, and we have also adopted our own Magellanic penguin named Ice Ice Baby. Here is the continuing story of our little penguin.

I attach a new photo of your penguin back home in the burrow. The penguins recently arrived back at the colony from their winter vacations, and the first job they had to do was to make repairs to the nest after the winter storms. The pairs then mate, and two eggs were laid in the nest just a few days ago. Magellanic penguins always lay exactly two eggs, with approximately 4 days between each egg.

If we were to disturb the penguins before the eggs are laid, there is a slight chance that they would abandon the nest and move elsewhere, but once the eggs have been laid the penguins remain in the nest. It is for that reason that we only take the photos of our adopted penguins after the colony has finished laying eggs.

Each nest is examined to make sure that both eggs are present, and the photos that we send to you are taken. From this point onwards the nest is visited every few days to follow the progress of the eggs and then the chicks, right up until the chicks are fully grown and leave the nest to begin life on their own.

The eggs now in the nest have to be kept warm for the next 6 weeks, so that the little baby penguins can grow inside the eggs. Since the nests have no heating, the eggs are kept warm by the adults lying over the eggs. This keeps the eggs safe from predators, like gulls and skuas, and also maintains the correct temperature for the embryos to develop inside the eggs. Keeping the eggs warm like this is called 'incubation', and virtually all birds need to do it. The attached photo shows your penguin in the nest with the eggs.

Penguins have an area of skin on their stomachs which is called the 'brood patch'. This area has very few feathers, and enables the adult's skin to press directly against the eggs, providing good heat transfer into the eggs.

Such close contact is necessary during heavy rain to stop the eggs loosing heat. When the penguins leave the nest and go to sea, this area of bare skin is closed (hence the name 'pouch'), so that the cold sea water does not chill the penguin.

Penguin eggs are quite large, weighing about 130 grams each. That is about twice the size of the hen eggs which you probably eat at home. Magellanic penguin eggs take approximately 6 weeks to hatch, and the hatching itself can take up to a couple of days as the tiny chick (which has very little strength because it has never used its muscles) struggles to break free of the egg shell.

Because penguins eat fish, it means that they are unable to eat anything whilst they are incubating the eggs, so they take it in turns. One of the parents stays in the nest incubating the eggs, whilst the other goes to sea to catch fish, and they change over every couple of days.

Penguins are very fast swimmers, and very good at catching fish. The reason they are black on their backs and white on their tummies, is so that the fish can't see them coming. From deep beneath the water, their silvery-white chests and tummies are difficult to see by fish looking up towards the light sky above, and fish looking down cannot easily see their black backs against the gloomy dark depths below. That is why penguins, and gulls, and indeed most seabirds, have white stomachs, chests and underparts, and black backs, heads and upper parts.

Magdalena Island's only building is a lighthouse, one of many lighthouses that were built around 100 years ago to help ships navigate through the Straits of Magellan. The Straits of Magellan were discovered in 1520 by Hernan de Magallanes, and it was an important discovery because it allowed ships to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, without going around the dreaded Cape Horn, that destroyed so many ships with its savage storms. Magellanic penguins take their name from the Straits of Magellan, which in turn was named after Hernan de Magallanes

Throughout Patagonia the winds are very strong, averaging 20 to 30km per hour most days, with storms of over 100km per hour being common. As such, the seas around southern South America can be very rough, but penguins are very good swimmers, and have no problem swimming in even the roughest of weather. Penguins prefer being at sea, and only come ashore when necessary to raise chicks and to moult / molt (change their feathers).

Magdalena Island is a very big penguin colony, with about 65,000 occupied nests in the colony, which we have been studying and protecting since 1998, thanks to our penguin adoption programme. Population censuses performed since 1999 show that the population is healthy and has increased slightly in size during that period, thanks to monitoring and protection. Unfortunately the progress of the colony has been recently threatened by climate change.

You will recall how last season lack of rain caused much of the grass to die off, leaving loose sandy soil that blows across the island day after day, filling in and covering the penguin burrows. We had hoped that rain during the winter months would have allowed the grass to recover, but unfortunately rainfall during the winter was low, and there has been no improvement in grass cover. Early indications are that this is not going to be a good season on Magdalena Island, and that we are once again going to be kept busy digging out penguins trapped inside their burrows.

Thank you for supporting our adoption programme. Please help us to do more by letting other people know about our penguin adoption programme. Our work is entirely funded by our adoption programme, and the sale of my books, so the more people who sign up, the more we can do to help the penguins.

Our Internet page is www.seabirds.org/adopt.htm and we also have a page on Facebook called "Penguins - Penguins Adoption Programme" where you can see a photo album of us working with the penguins at

http://www.facebook.com/search/?flt=1&q=penguins&o=65&s=40#!/pages/Penguins-Penguins-adoption-programme/103536939709019

If you have a Facebook page yourself, please click on the "Like" button to add our page to your list of sites that you like, so that more people will find us. Every new person that comes across our work, and adopts a penguin, means another penguin being kept safe.

I will write to you again as soon as the eggs hatch.

Best wishes

Mike

PUT OUT THE WELCOME MATT

2010-11-07T13:02:00.000-08:00

ICEBAR Orlando welcomes our newest team leader

Matt Bergerstock!

We invite you to share all your knowledge and experiences with Matt as his job is to make Icebar AWESOME! The experience, the staff, the facility, it will all be part of Matt's influence to create the most amazing expedition you can have in Orlando.

Matt with part of our Awesome Icebar Team is third from the left - the guy in the red shirt. Having recently left the lair of the mouse, we welcome Matt to the thrill of the chill. His official title is Assistant General Manager, we call him Mr. Awesome!

DRINKING MADE EASY

2010-10-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

WATCH FOR ICEBAR Orlando ON HDNET TV

FLORIDA HOT SPOTS MAKE NATIONAL TV ON HDNET’S “DRINKING MADE EASY” WITH ZANE LAMPREY

Lamprey and Friends roll into the Sunshine State to Uncover Unique Drinking Specialties and Time Honored Cocktail Traditions in Florida – Wednesday, November 10 on HDNet!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS –(October 25, 2010) All the local hot spots and cool drinking customs unique to Florida take front and center in an upcoming episode of the new HDNet series “Drinking Made Easy” - a 24 episode trek across America, hosted by cult sensation Zane Lamprey. “Drinking Made Easy”

featuring Florida airs on HDNet on Wednesday, November 10 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

In this episode, Zane drinks his way through the Sunshine State and makes stops in Orlando, Miami, Clearwater Beach, Lake Alfred and Ft.

Lauderdale. He whips up 40 mojito’s in a minute at Lario’s on the Beach, taps a cask of ale at premier beer bar Redlight Redlight and tries to cool off with liquid nitrogen at the Ritz-Carlton, South Beach. All that and a lot more on Drinking Made Easy, Florida.

The HDNet series was filmed in conjunction with a recent national comedy tour, as Lamprey and his drinking buddy Steve McKenna and veteran stand-up comedian Marc Ryan traveled the US in search of the local drinks and drinking customs that have contributed to the birth, growth and distinction of our great country. Definitely a road trip unlike any other, the tour buses took Lamprey and his 15-person crew more than 10,000 miles across the country to cities like Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Denver, Miami, Milwaukee, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco and Seattle among many others.

“Drinking Made Easy” airs Wednesday nights at 8:30 p.m. ET on HDNet.

HDNet networks are available nationally via DIRECTV and Dish Network and locally in Miami, Florida on AT&T U-verse, Advanced Cable Communications, Atlantic Broadband, Frontgate Network LLC and Hotwire Cable Florida. Check your local listings for channels and more information.

EVENTS ARE COOL

2010-09-30T07:52:00.000-07:00

Need a place for a reception? Buffet dinner? A great way to show your clients how much you appreciate their business when you are in Orlando for a convention?

ICEBAR Orlando, chosen by Food Network TV as one of only 10 AMERICA'S BEST DESTINATION in the country. Shown this month on their America's Best show hosted by Alton Brown.
Chosen by Travel Channel as the "Coolest Bar in the USA" this is not to be missed. Room for over 500 guests, we can produce any event, create any theme. Talk to our meeting specialist today at 407-426-7555. Tell them the Ice Queen sent you!

ps: if you have a small group - we do those too! check our website at icebarorlando.com

AMERICA'S BEST

2010-09-03T02:57:00.000-07:00

About a year ago the Food Network producers started a daunting mission: Find the best eats in America. Adding to the pressure, Good Eats' Alton Brown would unveil the winners in a special Food Network series. Thousands of great restaurants, food trucks, bistros and bars were investigated. After many heated debates, the list was narrowed to 10 in each of four categories, one of them - Destinations.
The lists were handed off to Agent Brown who approached the picks with his usual skepticism. Who are the finalists? Well one of them is ICEBAR Orlando! We made the top 10 in Destinations of America's Best. The Number 1 spots will be announced on September 21st at 9:00 pm on Food Network TV.

"BEST PLACE TO CHILL OUT" one of the Top 10 Destinations in America - says Food Network, "These incredible spots are worth a trip"

So, make you plans, come to the BEST in AMERICA..... ICEBAR Orlando

Photo Shoot for Icebar new Carvings

2010-08-26T12:08:00.001-07:00

The photos are in! Our staff and friends are the best models we have! Showing how much fun you can have in the cold. Of course, the 26 flavors of vodka don't hurt. Our newest flavor "Whipped" is the flavor of whipped cream and it is so great with almost anything you can think of. Orange and whipped is a creamsickle - Chocolate and whipped is chocolate mousse! But wait! There are about 100 more concoctions, like butterscotch and --- well you have to come find out for yourself, but do NOT miss the Whipped. It's like a chilling breeze in the heat of summer - oh that's Icebar! Thanks to Brent for being staff for a day!

CAPTAIN ESQUIRE

2010-08-26T01:49:00.000-07:00

This short film shot for the 48 hour film festival features Icebar Orlando as the hang out of the Evil Villon. Two of our employees, Coy Whiting and Cindy Chan made their film debut's in this episode! It was fun and funny! Thanks for picking us to be in your movie!

2010-08-19T06:17:00.001-07:00

Star Wars Celebration V is finished. P H E W ! It was a very interesting project, and I have to say that I was disappointed that we didn't win the bid for the entire Hoth Ice Garden. I truly believe we would have produced a much better experience. The ice carvings, however, were amazing. Aaron Costic, our master carver captured the feel and essence of the Tauntaun and the Wampa in ice. Here are some photos.
We also had visits from characters to the real Icebar! The wampa who came actually made his costume. I am including a photo inside the icebar so you can see how large he is. Walking on stilts and carrying that costume must take a really strong person.
The others from the 501st Legion and the Hoth Rebel Patrol were also very good at their characterization of the movie.
Thanks to all the costumed folks who helped us enjoy the Celebration, see you in the movies!

WAMPAS AND TAUN TAUN'S OH MY!

2010-08-11T10:23:00.000-07:00

Icebar Orlando in conjunction with Lucas Films has been tagged to carve for the Hoth Ice Garden at the Celebration V Star Wars Convention in Orlando this weekend.

We brought in Aaron Costic, the intergalactic ice carver to do the heavy work. He has been busy all week, and the results are STELLAR!

Parties every night, drinks to get you ready for the EPIC party. Come in costume, and we let you in free. Ask for the ICE QUEEN and I'll make you a SOLO IN THE ROCKS!

SIBERIAN NIGHTS

2010-07-07T06:26:00.000-07:00

SIBERIAN NIGHTS
Click this link to go to the latest animated photo memories of FRIDAY @ICEBAR!

SIBERIAN NIGHTS AT ICEBAR

2010-05-27T06:23:00.000-07:00

SIBERIAN NIGHTS AT ICEBAR

Push the link above to see the new slideshow for Friday's BATTLE OF THE DJ's
It will be an awesome night, new for the PRIME event promoter - moving from Thursday to Friday, and 4 DJ's. We have new subwoofer, new speakers in the Icebar and on the Patio.

ICE ICE BABY MOULTING - UGG

2010-05-25T08:37:00.000-07:00

Ice Ice Baby and our other adopted penguins are now finally leaving the colony on their winter migration. Their final destination is the coast of Brazil, and their journey will take them along the entire coastline of Argentina and Uruguay; an impressive journey indeed.

The last few weeks have been spent building up their fat reserves at sea, and then undergoing a complete change of feathers (called the molt). Ice Ice Baby spent most of the molt period in the nest. Even though egg-laying and chick-rearing is now finished until October, the nest offers valuable protection from the cold Autumn (Fall) winds, which can chill Ice Ice Baby to the bone during the molt.

The feathers provide excellent protection from the cold, but during the molt these feathers fall out, leaving Ice Ice Baby with patches of bare skin. Eventually the new feathers grow in to replace the lost feathers, but it takes about three weeks to complete the process.

This has to be the most miserable month of the year for Ice Ice Baby; shivering in the cold wind with half the feathers missing, unable to go to sea to feed for almost a month, and with absolutely nothing to do except sit still to conserve valuable energy, thinking about how cold and hungry they are. I attach a photo showing a penguin just starting to loose his feathers. Thankfully Ice Ice Baby's ordeal is now over, and the most relaxing part of the penguin year is now beginning.

Near the north and south poles, the days are very long in summer, which means more hours of daylight for the penguins to catch food for their chicks. But in the winter the days become very short, so the penguins migrate northwards towards the equator in search of longer hours of daylight.

During the winter the penguins never leave the water, because the sea has everything they need. They feed, rest, and even sleep, bobbing about in the open ocean, 20 kilometres or more from the coast. Although the weather on land becomes very cold during the winter around the penguin colony, the ocean is so large and deep that the water temperature only changes by two or three degrees between summer and winter, so penguins do not migrate to avoid the cold. It is the longer hours of daylight during which they can fish which drives them northwards.

Penguins cannot fly for two reasons. Firstly, their wings are too small to be of any use in air, because they are adapted for "flying" in the water. Wings can only be good at one or the other, either good in air or good in water, because birds need large wings to fly in air, and small wings to swim underwater. Of course there are many birds that can fly, and swim underwater, but none of them are fast swimmers in water, because large wings cannot be flapped quickly in water. Around 60 million years ago, not long after the extinction of the dinosaurs, penguins gave up trying to fly in order to make their flippers perfect for use underwater, and the result is that penguins can swim 5 times faster than any waterbird that flies.

The second reason that penguins cannot fly is that they are too heavy. Bones are heavy, so birds that fly have hollow bones filled with a honeycomb of air pockets and thin bone filaments. Such bones are rigid enough to fly, but fragile, which is why birds break their wings so easily. Light weight also means that the bird has difficulty diving underwater, without bobbing back up to the surface like a cork.

Once again, by giving up flight, penguins were able to turn their hollow, fragile bones into strong, solid bones. This not only makes their bones strong enough to survive being bashed against rocks every day, but also means that penguins can remain underwater with ease, without bobbing up to the surface like ducks and cormorants do.

Birds that fly suffer huge handicaps in the water: large cumbersome wings, excess buoyancy that makes diving difficult, and fragile bones. By giving up the power of flight, penguins have got rid of all these handicaps, and have dominated the southern oceans for around 60 million years. Despite their small size, penguins are amongst the southern ocean's top predators. They flap their small flippers rapidly to propel themselves at up to 20km per hour, steer using their feet as rudders, and can dive to over half a kilometer below the surface. No seabird on Earth is so well adapted to life in the ocean.

Being such good swimmers, migrating from the southern tip of South America to Brazil each year is an easy task. Indeed, with nothing else to do except swim, eat and sleep, the next four months are like a winter vacation for the penguins.

Sign The Petition

2010-05-15T08:20:00.000-07:00

Sign The Petition

Here is a petition to save THREE SHEETS. It's the Travel Channel version of Zane Lampry's humorous numerous stories of drinking. AND he's coming to ICEBAR on Tuesday. Hope to see the monkey! (Psssst: I have a surprise, we'll take lots of pictures)

SIGN THE PETITION! THANKS

3 SHEETS

2010-05-12T14:46:00.001-07:00

http://www.travelchannel.com/Places_Trips/Travel_Ideas/Food_And_Drink/Bars/Extreme_Barhopping

First it was EXTREME BARHOPPING, now we are taping for THREE SHEETS with Zane Lampry
Format
Each episode begins with an overview of the places Zane will visit on his trip. Typically over the course of the episode, Zane will introduce different local alcoholic beverages and frequently spend some time with either a bartender or alcohol-maker to learn more about the drinks discussed. Many times when a new term or item is introduced, a note will appear on the screen to provide further information or help with pronunciation.
A number of recurring segments and gags surface in almost every episode. A voice-over feature starring "The Professor" will occasionally appear to introduce an in-depth history or description of something culturally significant, a locale, or the science behind a particular drink. Zane also often refers to his drinking buddy, a stuffed monkey named Pleepleus, who appears at random points in the show.
Wednesdays at 11 and 11:30 E/P
Zane Lamprey is three sheets to the wind as he explores the world's watering holes, hangs out with the locals and sips their favorite drinks. Our up-for-anything adventurer also samples the local food and searches for the perfect hangover cure.

Zane Lamprey
You'll see the world one drink at a time with host Zane Lamprey, who takes bar-hopping to a whole new level. Zane has starred in shows for MTV, VH1, Comedy Central and Fine Living. Now he finds himself drinking his way around the world for the Travel Channel. From Champagne, France, to Jaco, Costa Rica, Zane is determined to finish the bottle in each of the world's great drinking

The Making of Icebar

2010-05-12T06:46:00.000-07:00

This is how you make an Icebar. Icebar Orlando from the "icebreaking" to the opening. Here is how it is done by the world champion ice carver, Aaron Costic. Aaron is coming back to carve a new interior in August for Icebar Orlando..... stay tuned!

SIBERIAN NIGHTS AT ICEBAR ROCK

2010-05-05T17:21:00.000-07:00

To experience the Thrill of the Chill is old hat for our Russian friends. On Thursdays at Icebar we have the best Russian night in Florida. Here is the flyer, they change guest DJ's and have a new one from Mother Russia coming next week. These are some lovely ladies, and serious dudes here and they love to party inside the icebar. We love our Ruskies. We even have a Russian speaking bartender, you gotta see this!

Icebar/Fire Lounge

2010-04-25T05:14:00.000-07:00

Icebar/Fire Lounge CLICK ON THE LINK TO THE LEFT~
Here is the latest iteration of our Event Sales promo video. THANKS to all those who offered suggestions for improvement. Let me know how you feel now!

i-Meet: the worldwide community for people who plan meetings and events

2010-04-20T02:50:00.001-07:00

i-Meet: the worldwide community for people who plan meetings and events

Posted using ShareThis

ice dancing

2010-04-18T15:19:00.000-07:00

This is too cute! Great composition! Yes Virginia, you CAN dance in the Icebar!

Pinnacle Vodka at the Ice Bar

2010-04-18T14:51:00.000-07:00

It's time for summer reruns, so we are reposting our last year's Travel Channel Video

Set-It-Off Productions

2010-04-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

Icebar/Fire Lounge

2010-04-14T11:00:00.000-07:00

Icebar/Fire Lounge
I have been experimenting with creating slide shows to send to event planners and meeting professionals. This is the final (at least for now) version. We did have a great event last night for BioSource and I have some super photos, but I left the camera at the bar - so will update in the future.
If you have thoughts, insight as to what planners want to see, please share. Need all the help I can get.

Brazil Teen Dance Party

2010-04-03T12:43:00.000-07:00

Brazil Teen Dance Party

ILLUSIONS AT ICEBAR

2010-04-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

ILLUSIONS AT ICEBAR

SIBERIAN NIGHTS AT ICEBAR ORLANDO

2010-04-03T12:41:00.000-07:00

SIBERIAN NIGHTS AT ICEBAR ORLANDO

Latin Nights @ Icebar Orlando

2010-03-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

INSIDE the Icebar or in the FIRE Lounge it's Cool, then it's HOT HOT HOT!!!

Holy Salsa! We have been having a great time at the monthly LMP Promotions party at Icebar. So good, in fact, that we are starting a weekly event, here's the ad, and you can see photos of all the happy guests on their site. Come have a great time - heck I might even learn to do the dance! Here is where all the pictures are: http://www.lomaximoproductions.com/pics.php

Amazing drink specials, European Bottle Service at $100 and drink specials all night. You gotta BE HERE FOR THIS PARTIIIIIIIII

The North Pole

2010-03-27T04:57:00.000-07:00

This is our NEW EXPEDITION
Starting NOW!
Icebar has a great experience to share – a taste of the North Pole. OK, if you are from Minnesota or even Canada, you are still not at the North Pole!
This is the expedition for those who want to escape the ordinary, to taste and feel a new sensation, only available at ICEBAR…
BAR NORTH POLE EXPEDITION

WELCOME TO THE NORTH POLE! I’m your expedition guide.
Please be careful where you walk, you’re walking on water! Well, actually the NP is all water, it’s the Arctic ocean, but the top of it is frozen, so it’s an island made of ice. The ice is from 2 to 10 feet deep, but the bottom of the Arctic ocean is 13,000 meters below you!

Come on in, let me tell you the tales of the ARCTIC.. but First, have you decided which Top of the World cocktail you’d like for starters? We have the:

Chips Chilly Willy –
Yellow Snow
Arctic Breeze
And the world famous Penguin Pizz!
In a glass made of crystal pure ice – $10 and remember, refill the glass for only $5. Our glasses are completely recyclable, so we ask you leave them in the recycle container near the door. We only take pictures with us, and only leave footprints at the NP.
There is life up here, CHIP is our resident Polar Bear, the largest land animal in the Arctic, reaching up to 1300 pounds, he’s a very savvy predator. Hunted by Eskimos, I can tell you how they used to capture him without damaging the fur. They would chop a hole in the ice, line it with peas, wait until morning, and when the Polar Bear stopped to take a pea, they would kick him in the ice hole! HO HO HO, hey, that was a JOKE!.
For real, Polar bears have black skin to absorb the heat, and their fur hairs are hollow, giving them the best insulation in the world. Can you guess their weight when they are born? (1.3 lb.) They are the largest carnivore in North America and Polar bears occupy fast ice and pack ice habitats where their main pray, Ringed Seals, occur year-round. Females travel with their cubs for two to 3 years. Great endurance walkers and swimmers, these bears make seasonal migrations of between 1200 and 2500 miles across the ice and can swim 60 miles (100 km) in open water. They are fast runners, reaching speeds of 25-30 miles per hour. Females use dens throughout the winter and both males and females may construct dens for short term shelters to conserve energy when food is scarce.
Global Warming occurs in a cycle throughout history, today’s scientists have recorded lower temperatures in the Arctic and less ice, but whether this is an acceleration of the cycle is still under debate. Here at Icebar we support the Polar Foundation to help fund research and scientific analysis of ways to conserve our environment.
On the other side of the world, actually the bottom, we also fund penguin research, and this is a lifesize depiction of our adopted Magellanic Penguin whose name is Ice Ice Baby. Two chicks hatched this year, Ice has had a busy season in Chile, and we look forward to adopting the offspring when they are ready to have burrows of their own.
Hey, let’s try a quiz. The person who gets closest to the answer gets a free refill!
How far are we from the true geological North Pole????

ICE ICE BABY

2010-03-21T01:51:00.000-07:00

ICE ICE BABY OUR ADOPTED PENGUIN - THE SAGA CONTINUES

It has been a difficult season here on Magdalena Island in Chile. The earthquake and after-shocks that recently struck Chile, occurred more than 2000 kilometres to the north of where we are based, so nobody here was directly affected. Nevertheless, the areas affected included the two principal cities in Chile (Santiago and Concepcion) and most people in Chile have family and friends in the affected areas, so the whole of Chile has been hit by the tragedy.

The penguins were not affected by the earthquake, and Ice Ice Baby's chicks have both left the colony to begin life on their own. But this year has been a mixed year for the penguins on Magdalena Island for other reasons. Food has been abundant, as usual thanks to the ban on commercial fishing, but lack of rain has caused the grass to die off across the island, causing the strong winds of the region to whip up the dry soil into dust storms. These dust storms completely buried some of the penguin burrows, and we were kept busy digging out chicks trapped inside their burrows.

The youngsters now face new challenges, as they begin life on their own. Throughout their young lives the chicks have had food brought to them by Ice Ice Baby, but now they are completely on their own, and must learn to do everything for themselves.

Having never even been to sea before, they must now learn where to find fish, and how to catch them.

Ice Ice Baby cannot go along to help, because the adults must now attend to their own needs. In about 4 weeks time the adults' feathers will fall out. This is perfectly normal. The old feathers fall out, and new ones grow back each year.

The process is called moulting , or molting, depending in what country you live in.

During the moult (molt) the penguins must remain on land, and since all their food is at sea, that means they are unable to eat during the 3 or 4 weeks of the annual moult. So the adults must now catch as much food as they can for themselves to build up the weight that they have lost during chick-rearing, so that they are well fed and in good condition to take on 3 or 4 weeks without food during the moult. That is why Ice Ice Baby cannot go with the chicks.

However the youngsters have received the best possible help that Ice Ice Baby could have given them. Firstly, just like a cat will chase anything small that moves in front of it, even a piece of string, the chicks automatic know to chase and catch anything small that they see moving in the water. This is called instinct.

It is like knowledge that is stored in the brain from the time of birth; knowledge that is there without having to be learnt, just waiting for the moment when it is needed.

Secondly, the layers of fat that the youngsters built up as chicks, thanks to all the fish that Ice Ice Baby fed them, now act as their food reserves, keeping the youngsters strong and healthy, as they master the art of catching fish for themselves.

The fatter the chick is when it leaves the nest, the longer it can go without food, as it learns to catch its own food. That is why a plentiful food supply during chick-rearing is so important to the penguins' survival, and why uncontrolled commercial fishing, like that which occurs around the Falklands, is so damaging.

Fortunately these chicks were raised in an area where the penguins are cared for, and so the chicks are fat and healthy, and have the best possible chance of making it on their own.

The adults feed on small fish, mostly a species called 'Sprattus fuegensis', but the chicks will eat whatever they can find to begin with, including squid, shrimps and other crustaceans. It will take many weeks for the young juveniles to build up the strength in their flipper muscles that the adults have, which will eventually give them the speed and stamina necessary to catch the fastest fish. Becoming a master fish catcher takes a long time.

Back in the colony, things are very quiet for the time being. The chicks have all left, and most of the adults are spending most of their time out at sea, feeding and building up their fat deposits ready for the annual moult. Once the adults finish their annual moult, they will follow the chicks northwards towards Brazil, on their winter migration. I will write to you again when Ice Ice Baby and our other penguins are getting ready to leave.

Best wishes

Mike

Icebar Hosts Hometec Launch

2010-02-23T08:12:00.000-08:00

Pele Cortizo-Burgess Joins Grey New York as Chief Strategy Officer

click on this link and read about the launch of Hometec at Icebar! It was a great party, and the best way to promote your business in Orlando.

MARTINI MADNESS

2010-02-20T12:28:00.000-08:00

We are testing martini recipes. We need some help from our friends. Here are a few of the new recipes, let us know what you think?
FIRE LOUNGE MARTINI MENU

COTTON CANDY MARTINI’S – WATCH THIS!
GLOBAL WARMING – As the planet heats up you can keep cool with Vanilla Infused Vodka, Godiva White Chocolate and White Crème de Menthe. A Chilling Event.
ARCTIC MELTDOWN – Watch summer arrive with Orange Vodka, Lemon Lime Juice and a Freezing Splash of Blue Curacao. A celebration of cool.
Martini’s in Flight – 4 oz Tasting of Four Martini’s
#1 Top of the World Flight $20
The Classic: Traditional Sharp Piney taste of Bombay Sapphire Gin with a breath of dry vermouth and two, not three olives.
L’Orange Cosmopolitan – Tasteful twist of Grey Goose L’Orange with fresh lime juice Gran Marnier and Cranberry squeeze.
The Pink Lady: Bombay Sapphire Gin, Grenadine and Sugar (syrup) blended with Cream and a Maraschino Cherry drop.
The French: Belvedere Premium Vodka, Chambord Raspberry Liquor and a splash of Hawaiian Pineapple Juice. Lemon Twist
#2 Fruitful Flight $15
The crisp smooth taste of Pinnacle Vodka, distilled in France with infusion of purest flavors ice cold.
Appletini – Mangotini – Raspberrytini and Blueberrytini
#3 Flight of Fancy $22
Espresso ChocoTini – Dark and delicious Patron XO Espresso laced with Godiva Dark Chocolate Liquor surrounded by a dusted cocoa rim.
The Key Lime Pie: Vanilla infused vodka, the elusive Liquor 43, a jolt of fresh key lime juice with a creamy froth and graham cracker rim.
Elderflower Martini: Alpine Elderflower Liquor, with premium Vodka and a splash of lime juice, a twist of lime to bring out the flowers of spring.
Huckleberry Heaven- 44 Degrees North Huckleberry Vodka shaken vigorously with Lemon Lime juice and a twist of each.

OUR BABY PENGUINES

2010-02-03T09:47:00.001-08:00

When the chicks were small, it was important for one of the adults to always be around to protect them from predators. Now as they get bigger, the chicks need increasingly large amounts of fish to maintain their growth, and both parents must now go to sea to catch enough fish to satisfy the chicks' increasing appetite.

Despite being only a few weeks old, the chicks are now nearly as big as Ice Ice Baby, and need a lot of food.

With both parents away from the nest for much of the time, the chicks get more adventurous, and begin leaving the nest on their own. This makes it easier for us to take photos, and I now attach a photo of the chicks.

Although the chicks are now nearly as big as Ice Ice Baby, they still have a lot of growing to do. It will be about 4 to 6 weeks before they are ready to go to sea on their own.

First they need to shed out the soft fluffy feathers which you can see in the photo. These fluffy feathers are excellent at keeping the chicks warm when they are dry, but they are useless in the water. These feathers are not waterproof, and would soak up water like a sponge if the chicks went into the water, making it impossible for the chicks to swim.

So over a period of about three weeks the fluffy feathers fall out and are replaced by sleek waterproof feathers. These new feathers are just like those of Ice Ice Baby, except that the markings are different. The chicks will not develop the markings of the adults until they are 5 years old, and this change in markings indicates to other penguins that they are mature enough to take a partner and begin rearing chicks of their own.

The five years it takes to reach maturity are necessary for the chick's body to develop full muscle strength and stamina, and for the chick to become a master at catching fish. Without years of practice to become an expertise fish-catcher, the young penguin would not be able to catch enough fish for its chicks, and any other penguin pairing up with such a young penguin would be unlikely to be successful at raising chicks either. It is for this reason that the juveniles only develop adult plumage when they reach 5 years of age, to prevent other penguins from pairing up with inexperienced penguins.

The other change that the chicks need to undergo before going to sea, is the strengthening of their flipper muscles. The chicks have put down large deposits of fat over the last few weeks, which will be very important in providing the energy reserves they need to stay alive whilst learning to catch their own food.

But up until now the chicks have been confined to their nest with virtually no exercise, and their flippers have never been used, so the flipper muscles are small and weak.

Now that the chicks can wander out of the nest, they begin exercising their flippers, in order to strengthen their muscles. They can often be seen flapping their flippers up and down vigorously, as though they are excited at the prospect of getting into the ocean. The strength and stamina of their flipper muscles will be very important for the speed they will need to catch food when they begin life on their own in a few short weeks.

The chicks are very sociable, and mix with chicks from adjacent nests. Just as children go out to play with their friends, so too penguin chicks seek out other chicks for company, and it is common to find four or six chicks all in the same burrow. The adults do not mind other chicks visiting their burrow (it provides extra protection for their chicks against predators), but they never let other adults enter their burrow.

This season has been very dry, with very little rain, and this has led to differing fortunes for our colonies. Our penguins in Argentina have benefited from the reduction in rain, and chick survival rates have been high there this season.

The low rain fall has not really affected the vegetation there, which comprises mostly of drought-resistant thorn bushes, with deep root systems that seek out moisture during drought. The penguins use these bushes as cover for their nests, since the soil is too sandy to support burrows..

However here on Magdalena Island in Chile there are no bushes. The vegetation is short grass and small flowering plants, with relatively shallow roots, growing over a sandy soil. These have suffered badly from the drought, and most of the vegetation has died off leaving bare soil. The wind turns this loose sandy soil into dust storms, which in some areas are so severe that they bury the entrance of the burrows, with the penguins still inside.

Ice Ice Baby and the other adults are wise enough and strong enough to dig out the soil that comes into the burrow, but the chicks are not. They very often retreat to the back of the burrow, unaware that they are being sealed into their own tomb by the storm. Recently we have had to dig out several burrows to rescue the chicks trapped inside. If it were not for the burrow markers we use to name the penguins, many of the burrows would have completely vanished from sight.

Rain is desperately needed to restore the short grass cover, which in turn is needed to stabilise the soil in order to secure the long-term future of these penguins.

The chicks will begin leaving the colony in a few weeks, and I will write to you again when that exodus begins.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2009-12-27T06:29:00.000-08:00

Icebar Orlando announces ICE BALL 2010.

The coolest NYE party in Orlando, and possibly the entire nation is here! 50 tons of ice, and MORE! New sculptures, an amazing Penguin Pizz luge, Meet "Chip" the new bear.

Eat, Drink, Dance, be Merry.

Go to www. Icebarorlando.com for the rest of the story and join us for a COOL party.

We have the decorations, the lights, the Hottest DJ, the coolest drinks, the Iciest glasses, and the best champagne. Can't find a more luxurious lounge, or hotter Ice Princesses to help ring in the new year.

See you there!

THANK YOU TO OUR CUSTOMERS

2009-12-25T12:10:00.000-08:00

Icebar Orlando wants to thank all our customers who have made this year a delight for our staff. We truly appreciate your business and your feedback. Please feel free to tell us what we are doing right, and what we are doing wrong! Since we are a new business, and new to the hospitality business we need input.

Our staff, most of them college students working to finance their way, are great, our best asset, so I wish to give them special recognition for their efforts. We applaud the Ice Princesses who greet our customers with a smile, the bartenders who mix with charm and knowledge, the bar backs who keep everything in order and our Sales and Management staff who keep our customers coming in the door. May your holiday be happy, your new year stupendous.

ps: this is a suggestion for our new look! Whatcha think?

Best,
Patz, Ron, and Wylie
The Icebar Partnership

CELL PHONES FOR SOLDIERS

2009-11-25T09:43:00.000-08:00

DECEMBER 12, 2009 CHILL OUT OFFICE PARTY to benefit Cell Phones for Soldiers

Announcing the COOLEST Office party! Icebar Orlando has been designated as a drop off point for the Cell phones for Soldiers Holiday drive. We are offering small offices and individuals a FREE entry into our ICEBAR with a chilly drink in exchange for a used cellphone. These phones are turned into prepaid calling cards sent to soldiers who cannot make it home for the holidays to call and talk to their families. This is a great cause and we are proud to be part of the giving. Icebar Orlando invites all small offices that cannot hire a great hall or party place to join other small offices on December 12th to celebrate in style. Bring a cellphone and 10 guests and get our Freeze for Free package, one free for every paid entry.

Support the Military who are not with their families this holiday season. Drop off cellphones any day, or come on December 12th and celebrate with us.

Food, live music, fun and frolic watch our fire breathing bartenders do their juggling act. Enjoy our dance floor and see the brand new ice sculptures.

Help us help the soldiers and get great discounts at ICEBAR!!!

A NEW BEAR HAS BEEN CARVED

2009-11-20T12:38:00.000-08:00

Aaron Costic of International Ice Carving fame, finished a new bear for us yesterday. This is what we have been waiting for!!! It is a 6'5" standing Polar Bear with one paw up, and already has instant success with Icebar Guests. We have moved and updated all the sculptures and added a new shelf for displaying some of the new an amazing vodkas we are featuring. The bear was made from 8 blocks of ice, frozen together starting out at 2,400 pounds! After the carving, I think he probably weighs close to a ton. This is a BIG FELLA.

Aaron started by stacking the blocks and we will get the video up so you can see how it was done. Really fun to watch him work. We also had a film crew from the International Drive Travel website come and take some movie shots. That should be great publicity for us and for Aaron. I am considering going to take a class in carving from Aaron's studio in Cleveland, but have to wait until it is not so darn cold!!!

I am a Florida native, and really don't like much snow... so why am I operating an icebar? Good question! It's FUN, people SMILE when they see it, and it makes me Feel GOOD! Besides, I get to taste test all the new recipes, like the one below.

Along with Diamond Standard Vodka, we have just tasted the 4 Orange Vodka made from Florida Oranges! This is, I believe, the first vodka distilled from Oranges. After the oranges are squeezed for juice the skins and pulp are made into molasses which is distilled to make the great tasting and quite aromatic vodka. We are trying a new drink with our ice glass that has a sugar rim! Then the orange vodka and a splash of fresh limeaid for an "Florida Orange Freeze". YUM YUM.

Here's the bear -and we are designing another bar to be installed in the future! Let us know what you like, and any suggestions.

MOTOWN CLASSIC WEEKEND

2009-11-14T07:27:00.001-08:00

Oh, Yeah, it's Florida Classic Weekend November 19 - 21. Icebar has secured some great hosts and sponsors to make every night a great memory.
Thursday, the Motown Mixer with all alumni invited, sponsored by Zeta Phi Beta and Phi Beta Sigma will have a bus running from the Rosen Center to the Icebar starting at 9:00. Friday, the Motown Mash up with DJ David Z and DJ Cize spinning Dance tunes all night. Come and hear your favorite tunes. Saturday!
MOTOWN CLASSIC PARTY - Sponsored by Hennessy Cognac - FREE bottle with every VIP purchase. This is IT! Best party in town, this is the place to show off your wheels and your heels.
Free parking, Free entry for ladies before 11, 2-4-1 Premium for gents, specials all night.

DIAMONDS AND ICE

2009-11-12T08:25:00.000-08:00

We are now featuring Diamond Vodka in the icebar and in our VIP packages. If you have not tasted this marvelous brew that is filtered through DeBeers diamonds you must come. We have absolutely the best prices around, and they are a sponsor of Icebar. It is GREAT STUFF! We have a special martini made with white grape juice that will chill you out!

“Our Diamond Filtered patented process is an industry first. We utilize over six hundred cut diamonds of up to one carat in size to purify our vodka. Our innovative process creates vodka with the silkiest and most subtle of palettes and is simply the most exquisite mass market vodka available anywhere. Our filtration system took over three years to perfect. Its yield is 750 carats of liquid elegance since each and every drop has been individually Kissed by Diamonds.” http://diamondbeverages.com/

FREAKY FREEZE

2009-10-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

BOOOO! Icebar Orlando has some tricks and treats for this Halloween. The trick is to pick which night you want to party. Friday - Asian/18+ night hosted by Deepvision Entertainment. With $100 and up costume awards and frightning good drinks it is a hopping scene for the younger crowd to party hearty.
Saturday, its our annual Freaky Freeze Bash. All ladies in costume get in free and all costumed guests get free premium drink..... party till dawn with $100 bottle specials and be the VIP to watch. Bottles for best costume, dance and prance till the wee hours.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ICEBAR

2009-10-01T14:56:00.000-07:00

October 1, 2008 - Newsflash, Icebar Orlando opens on time! Wow, it was close, but we did it, became the first permanent bar of ice in the United States, even the entire Continent! My partners have said that if we were to try and pick a worse time to open we probably couldn't have hit it better. The economy crashed, the market tanked, unemployment is at all time high, the "r" word became a reality. Travel stopped, vacations were canceled, meetings abandoned, trade shows and conventions at record lows, and the hotels, a wasteland of empty beds.

Icebar Orlando??? We ROCKED! Well, ok, some of it was just plain rocky, but like Rocky, we learned, we leaned, we listened and we Live our Dream. Our thanks to the employees that have helped us make this the "Coolest bar in the USA" and to those who came to see and shared the fun with their friends, our Expedition Guests, You are the Coolest!
If you missed it, we are ONE YEAR OLD TODAY!!!!

So, look out for our TERRIBLE TWO'S! We're on a roll and we're going to keep our cool..

Flair Bartending

2009-09-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

Icebar Orlando has been practicing our Flair. We have had Devin from Rockstar Bartenders show us some cool tricks, and we have made up a few of our own. A couple of weeks ago Devin filmed another episode of his bar-tending lessons at Icebar and we wanted to share it with you. He is amazing, has a great smile and I can swear that no liquor comes out when he slings those bottles.

I have almost mastered one small trick, and we are all working on doing what is called "working flair" That means you do it while still pouring drinks for a crowd without slowing down. We have also been practicing good bar-tending skills.

For me, never having been behind a bar until we owned one, it has been a lot of fun learning how to craft drinks. My most recent was a very Classic Martini.

I can truly say I have never had a classic martini, and I LOVE them! Wow, what a difference the skill to pour the right way makes. Here's the recipe, and the technique to do it at home.

Properly chill a stemmed martini glass (that means fill it with ice and water and let it get very cold) then pour out the water.

Put 1/2 ounce of dry vermouth in the glass and swirl it around to coat the inside of the glass, dump it out.

Fill a shaker 1/2 full of crushed ice and add 3-4 ounces of Bombay Sapphire Gin. (I use a pretty large martini glass) Stir for one minute to dilute some of the ice and make the gin very cold. Don't shake!

Strain gin into glass. Take a lemon peel and twist it over the gin to allow some of the oil to fall down on top of the gin. Throw peel away.

Add two olives on a pick. Just two, don't be greedy!!!!

That's it!. The perfume of the lemon oil, the tiny bite of the vermouth and the chill of the Bombay - Awesome!

Note: If you use vodka, it is a gibson, not a martini. The only martini is made with gin!

Now watch Devin make a cosmo - You can do this at home, too. We'll do more classic cocktails this week. Icebar is making a new menu for those of us who don't drink drinks just to be blind drunk - we are reviving the Civilized Cocktail Hour at Icebar. Come join us, especially on Sunday for cool jazz as we "wine" down the week.

Here's the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aBnzUwYbWU

ICE ICE BABY Returns to Nest

2009-09-05T15:49:00.000-07:00

THIS JUST IN FROM OUR ADOPTED PENGUIN whose name is Ice Ice Baby:

Dear Icebar Orlando

Ice Ice Baby and our other adopted penguins are now back in the colony after their long winter migration to Brazil and back. They are in excellent condition after months of rest and recreation, which is just as well, because there is lots of work for them to do before egg-laying begins next month.

Penguins do not usually stay with their partners during the winter migration, so they need to meet up again back at the colony before mating and egg-laying can take place. The males arrived in the colony a few days before the females, which is usual. There are always many more male penguins than female penguins, so the males cannot take the risk of loosing their female to another male by arriving late. Female penguins are not tolerant of being stood up, so male penguins must be punctual.

The winter storms cause so much damage to the old nests that they are hardly recognisable in the Spring. Much of the soil gets eroded away by heavy rain, and considerable vegetation growth occurs during the winter due to the availability of much needed moisture around the plant roots. As a result, the nests need to be completely restored and cleared of mud and debris, before they are in a fit state to hold the eggs.

Both partners share the work of repairing the nests, and these activities, along with courtship displays and the preening of each other's feathers, renew the pair-bonds that keep the couple together throughout the season, and often for life. Magellanic penguins are sometimes known as Jackass penguins because of their donkey like call (see attached video clip).

Adult penguins live to 25 or 30 years of age, and have no real predators, so very few penguins fail to return to the colony each year. Orcas (killer whales) do sometimes eat penguins, but there are very few Orcas in the waters around our colonies. Adult penguins are also very skilled at avoiding predators, and most penguins caught by Orcas are the pre-breeding youngsters who have not yet refined their survival skills.

This is one of the reasons that penguins do not begin breeding until they reach

4 or 5 years of age. Penguins need 4 years of practice catching fish and avoiding predators before they are ready to become reliable parents like Ice Ice Baby.

There are sealions in the vicinity of our colonies, but sealions do not really feed on penguins, despite what you may have seen on TV. Some other species of seals do kill penguins for food, such as Leopard Seals, but they only live around Antarctica so are not a threat to Ice Ice Baby.

A very small number of adult male sealions which are unable to secure females do sometimes attack and kill penguins, but they rarely eat the penguin. This behaviour seems to be the result of aggression by frustrated males that have no females, something similar to young lads at a disco, who having been unsuccessful at chatting up a girl, look for someone with whom to pick a fight, or for something to vandalise.

Around Isla Magdalena in Chile we sometimes see this, because there is a sealion colony on nearby Isla Marta, but out of a penguin population of around 140,000 penguins, perhaps a dozen or so penguins are killed each year. So the law of averages dictate that Ice Ice Baby will fall victim to a sealion about once every 10,000 years.

Once the nests are fully repaired, the penguins must wait for the eggs growing inside to finish developing. Egg-laying in Argentina takes place during mid to late October, with egg-laying in Chile and the Falklands taking place about two weeks later, in early November.

As soon as egg-laying has taken place, we will take a photo of Ice Ice Baby sitting on the nest. We cannot take photos before egg-laying has taken place, because the penguins can all too easily abandon the nest if they are disturbed prior to egg-laying. Once egg-laying has taken place however, the penguins will not abandon the eggs except under extreme circumstances, such as the nest becoming submerged by water as a result of heavy rain.

It is for this reason that we must take the photographs after egg-laying has taken place, the timing of which is in the hands of Ice Ice Baby. I will write to you again when egg-laying and photographing have taken place.

In the meantime, you might like to know that scientists have uncovered fossils from the oldest penguin ever found. Discovered in New Zealand and called Waimanu, this penguin is 62 million years old, just 3 million years after the dinosaurs.

Waimanu has a head and beak very similar to a cormorant, and the skeleton strongly suggests that penguins evolved from a common ancestor of cormorants, petrels and penguins. This shows that birds must have been evolving long before the extinction of the dinosaurs, and therefore co-existed with dinosaurs, contrary to previous beliefs.

Best wishes

Mike

Wylie spots bears!

2009-08-29T09:25:00.000-07:00

This just in from our traveling partner. Words by Richard Barna, great friend and intrepid traveler, and photos by Wylie Plummer, partner extrordinairre. The Ice Queen is dripping with envy at their great views of all the bears and wildlife in Alaska, and Russia.

The only humans on the Russia's Wrangel Island of for 30 years have been 4 scientists and 3 rangers studying the bear, walrus, arctic foxes and birds unique to the island. With all these scientists on board our ship, Vladimir Putin’s permission and exceptionally good weather, we set off in our zodiac boats on a bear photo hunt. Dr. Nitika Ovsanikov is the island’s chief scientist and world renowned polar bear expert, having lived with his family on Wrangel Island for many years. His English is excellent except for an endearingly off kilter pronunciation of his favorite subject – “beers”. We were certainly impressed with all the "beers", birds and walruses on Wrangel Island. Watching them in their native habitats helped us understand their primordial struggle for daily existence. As the winter ice recedes each spring, the bears can choose to float north with the ice, or stay on the ice free land. Seems to work out for them either way. Having seen our fill of the land based bears, we are headed north to hunt for bears at the edge of the Arctic Ice Shelf. Stay Tuned.

ICEBAR IS FOR LOVERS -WEDDING PACKAGES

2009-08-26T07:23:00.000-07:00

Hello Chillers - Icebar Orlando has it's first wedding booked in what will be (for the day)the Ice Chapel! We are very excited and will document the wedding for your reading pleasure as it unfolds. A very cool way to get married, and a Hot reception in the Fire Lounge will follow. Thanks to DeShay, our Sales Coordinator and Wedding Planner Extraordinaire for putting together a fabulous wedding package..

Fire and Ice

Weddings and Receptions

Feel like an Ice Princess for a day and his Ice Queen for the rest of your life.

Imagine your special day frozen in time.

Ceremony inside ICEBAR “Coolest Wedding Ever”

(Up to 75 people including Bride, Groom and Officiant can attend the ceremony)

ICEBAR Orlando is the largest permanent bar made of ice in the USA. Conveniently located to Interstate 4, Florida’s Turnpike and SR 528 (Beachline), ICEBAR Orlando features a chance to step into a magical world of ice designed and created by world class ice carvers using over 50 tons of ice. The interior walls, bars, tables, seating, fire place, and even the drink glasses are made entirely from ice.

Reception in the FIRE Lounge

(Up to 475 Guests)

You and your guests will enjoy the ultra-hip FIRE LOUNGE,

providing an inviting climate controlled, themed atmosphere

that can be customized with your dreams in mind.

DeShay can help you with amazing decorations, flowers, frozen treats,and wonderful foods to enhance the day. Call her at 407-426-7555. We also do a Luxury Proposal Package that includes a mink coat,white limo,and personalized ice pillow to present the "ice" ring to your prospective bride..... Give her 50 tons of ice, not just one!

MEET OUR SCULPTOR

2009-08-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

Aaron Costic, the amazing and talented Ice Carving wizard of Icebar Orlando rides the bear.

Holding the bear down is Bill Whidden of Ice Magic, wall builder and ice glass producer.

Nineteen years ago, Aaron Costic, picked up a chainsaw and sculpted his first block of ice. This was enough to catch his heart and dreams. Ice has been in his veins ever since.
You can see Aaron's website at www.elegantice.com. He does the most fantastic creations and was exciting to work with.
Aaron is in the process of updating our Ice bar with a new theme, "Animals of the Cold". In the first Icebar creation, we gave Aaron the designs and he translated them into our current stunning display.

I particularly liked his interpretation of our dream, he did a series of three intricate carvings, the first portrayed the seeds of icebar growing and developing. The second carving shows the idea fully developed right before being "born" and the final shows the release and fully developed experience exploding into reality. This is truly art. Here is another example of the fantastic and intricate carvings that Aaron crafts from the chilly blocks of ice. We are going to have some fun with animals and will keep you posted on the schedule. Might offer some views of the carving. If you are interested, please leave a note below and we'll send an invite.

NEW CARVINGS NEW THEME

2009-08-13T04:30:00.000-07:00

This month we are designing the new sculptures and theme for Icebar Orlando. Aaron Costic, our amazing sculptor will be available the second week of September to do 4 days of carving and installation. We are tentatively working on the ANIMALS OF THE COLD as the new theme. We have plans for a replacement polar bear, standing up this time, and some Eskimo's with no faces so you can put yours in for a photo, like this: There are also Narwhales, Penguins, Arctic Fox and Hare, Snowy Owl, Seals of all kinds, and the leopard is my personal favorite (see post below), there are also orca whales, albatross and a lot of other kinds of creatures. What is your favorite? Let us know what you think (other than you think I draw funny!)

We are also offering our liquor partners the opportunity to participate in branding of our sculptures and the new bar. I created a power point presentation, and in doing the research am totally in awe of how many people atually visit our website, see us on television and read about us in blogs and articles. We have, this month, two new videos, one on nbc's Travelscoot and another on an English travel site. We also taped a segment for a new website being developed called The Information Network. We will be taping for ION tv a program called Southern Bike Nights which will feature us in a bike-friendly look at Orlando. We continue to get weekly requests for photos and information and interviews.
The result?? BUSINESS IS GOOD!!!!
For that, we thank our guests, and our great Icebar team.

A VERY GOOD DEED INDEED

2009-08-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

JADE EVENTS GIVES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY WITH LOVE

Icebar Orlando is proud to be a partner of Jade Events, who produce a monthly party on the 3rd Saturday of each month. . They do a "grown up" party and have a great following. In July, Ernest Wilson's birthday, and also birthdays of DJ Saxwell and Sophia Jones were cause for a great celebration. We have had White Parties, Black Parties, Anniversary Soire's and great and exciting events each month
The month of August the team is giving back to the community in the greatest party for back to school ever! It will be on Friday, AUGUST 15th.

Lined up for the evening are celebrities The Honorable Tiffany Moore-Russel, and Eryka Washington. The guest of honor is Ozzie Smith who is leaving to attend Harvard University. Ozzie is the creator of Orlando Professionals and we want to send him off in style.

The back to school drive asks all guests to bring a new school supply to assist the teachers and students of Central Florida. Everyone bringing supplies will receive deep discounts on entry and drinks.

Doors open at 9 pm, come, celebrate Central Florida education and bring supplies to keep our children at the head of the class.

To the Ends of the Earth

2009-07-29T09:58:00.001-07:00

I went South as far as I could go, it was cool, well actually it was unbelievably cold. This is my story.

In my life travel has been a passion. I have now been officially to 137 countries, and not just to change planes. To experience the culture, to enjoy the differences, and mostly to taste the food and come to know the people. There are some good places I could stay forever, some places with no soul that were challenging just to visit, and some places that lit my imagination like a rocket.

Antarctica! The South Pole! A pure white covering of ice over the very beginning of the earth. The core of Gondwanaland. Frozen mountains, Katabatic winds that blow up to 150 miles per hour, a sky of endless sun and endless dark, and the South Pole space station, in search of the origin of the Universe. Imagine yourself in the midst, all alone in the world's most brutal place. It is the highest, coldest, stormiest, driest, windiest place on the earth, and far away from any civilized life. What would it be like, and what would you be like in it? Would you survive? Would you cope? Would it change your life forever?

In this world of instant gratification, immediate global communication, streaming video of every facet of life there seems not much left to explore, to find, to discover. TV shows fly around the world on a racing adventure, anyone can raft the Amazon, we've been to the moon, to caverns far below the surface, I guess we have been there, done that everywhere.

Or, wait, have we? There is a huge difference between looking at a picture and actually standing in the spot. I think that only in the physical experience can we truly know where we are, and where we are going.

When you put your hand into the water in iceberg alley you can feel what the seals and penguins feel when they swim. You can have your guide yell "Get your hand back in the boat" at the top of his lungs, and wonder why until a leopard seal at least 10 feet long pops up to see where his snack went. PHEW! In a 12' zodiac inflatable boat you are on the water and part of the wildlife. The small motor is a huge attraction for penguins who love to swim and jump in the wash of the propeller, and the leopard seals follow to find their next of the eight penguins a day they eat. As you sit very still on the cold and rocky shore two juvenile penguins come to check you out, nudging each other forward until one thinks that jumping into your lap is a good idea, and you are not sure that he isn't after your eyes - so you shoo him away, gently, and he hops off to tell his parent. You watch with horror as a bird large enough to be a nightmare snatches a baby penguin for its supper. You also watch as the penguins snuggle their young and cuddle their mates.

Reality is not on TV, get out there and see it for yourselves. More on Antarctica tomorrow, then the North Pole!

ICE ICE BABY our Adopted Penguin

2009-07-27T15:12:00.001-07:00

Today we are reprinting the letter from Michael Bingham, the correspondant for Ice Ice Baby, our Magellanic penguin. AND we have photos! Ice Ice Baby is sitting on two eggs today, and we'll keep you updated on the progress of our flock. (Hey, are a bunch of penguins a flock?)

Dear Icebar Orlando

Thank you for supporting our penguin adoption programme with the adoption of Ice Ice Baby.

Your adopted penguin is a Magellanic penguin of about 5 years old.

Magellanic penguins are only found around southern South America in Chile, Argentina and the Falkland Islands. Each year we monitor population changes at selected breeding sites throughout their breeding range, and money raised through our penguin adoption programme pays for this work.

See www.seabirds.org/penguinstudysites.htm to see where we work. Click on each link for more information on each of our study sites.

At the beginning of each breeding season we visit our selected study sites and examine each and every nest to see how many breeding pairs are in the colony. This allows us to record any population changes, since Magellanic penguins return to the same colony to breed each year. This work has revealed a 90% population decline over the last 20 years in the Falkland Islands, whilst populations in nearby Chile and Argentina have increased.

As well as population counts, we also monitor all our adopted penguins throughout the season, in order to see how many eggs hatch, and how many chicks survive. By monitoring penguins over a number of years we are able to spot differences in breeding success, and find the causes of population decline.

These studies have shown that in the Falkland Islands, breeding success is much lower than in nearby Chile and Argentina, due to chick starvation in the Falklands. Chick survival in the Falklands is less than one third of that of Chile and Argentina because commercial fishing around the Falklands makes it hard for penguins to find food for their chicks.

In Chile and Argentina, where commercial fishing is banned close to penguin colonies, chicks are fed every 12 to 14 hours. In the Falklands, where there is no such protection from commercial fishing, chicks are fed every 34 hours. The lower abundance of food resulting from commercial fishing means that adult penguins must spend over twice as long finding food to feed their chicks in the Falklands. As a result, chicks in the Falklands receive less than half the amount of food, so few chicks survive, leading to population decline.

In September 2000, members of the International Penguin Conservation Work Group passed a resolution calling for no-fishing zones around penguin breeding sites in the Falkland Islands, as has been done in Chile and Argentina. Unfortunately the Falkland Islands Government have refused to honour this, despite the decline in penguin numbers.

Another potential threat to penguins is tourism, however our studies into the effects of tourism show no differences in breeding success for sites visited by tourists and those which are not. This is good news for anyone wishing to visit their penguin. They can be confident that their visit will not cause disturbance, and that we are monitoring the affects of tourism on penguins.

Our adoption programme runs for one year, although of course it can be renewed each year to follow the same penguin. Magellanic penguins arrive at the breeding sites in September, which is when we begin our monitoring work.

Eggs are laid during October, and chicks hatch during December. Chicks leave in February, but adults that have reared young remain around the breeding site until April.

Between April and September, Magellanic penguins remain entirely at sea, migrating northwards up the coast of Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, where the austral winter offers longer hours of daylight and warmer waters.

Throughout the breeding season you will be kept updated as to how your penguin is doing - when the eggs are laid, when they hatch, and how the chicks fare. We will also send you a photo of any chicks.

ICE BAR MARKETING Ice Blue Princess

2009-07-26T05:02:00.000-07:00

Advertising and Marketing are part of every product. At ICEBAR Orlando we have had the pleasure of working with some great advertising minds, and we have had the pain of working with some who just thought they were great. After our latest experiment, a real bust, we decided to refine our advertising with what we knew felt good to US. The result? Here she is, our Blue Ice Princess. We'd like to know what you think about her.

While we know that "sex sells", we are also part of the Orlando family of tourist venues and for that reason don't want to be overly suggestive. We did want to show that being at Icebar Orlando is fun and also let guests know that we do have the best Ice Princesses that Orlando can offer. Please give us your comments, we appreciate any thoughts and suggestions. Ice Blue Princess will also be part of our upcoming Ice Princess Calendar, which we are shooting very soon. We have found our photographer, and our Ice Princess team is excited to be part of this opportunity. Just have to find a great publisher to make it happen. We'll keep you posted, and hope you let us know how we are doing.

Taping for FOX 35 News

2009-07-21T11:00:00.001-07:00

At the crack of day this morning the Icebar team opened early to meet FOX news 35 Entertainment maven Christine Van Blockland for a live taping of our ICEBAR. This had been scheduled three times, but today there was no news more worthy and we were LIVE.

Omar, the camera guru, set up shop at 6:00 AM. His truck, looking like a van from space, cranked up a tower about 30' tall and snaked wires out to hook us all up to the towers LIVE. Interestingly we OOPS "lost the feed" on one segment, and seems like we were being beamed to a tower in Sanford, which was a little too far, but the Hunters' Creek tower was down, and so we were transferred to the Bithlo tower. I did not know there were so many from which to choose. Omar was truly a one man crew with an amazing array of wires, batteries, microphones, cameras, tripods and other magic gear than seemed to appear and reappear while he effortlessly filmed with a camera that had to weigh 35 pounds. Great job, Omar, and THANK you for making us look good.

Christine Van Blockland, star of Fox 35 Entertainment, and "ASK Christine", is a tiny dynamo. She and our Ice Princess Tristen are the same size, I think they claim to be 5' tall, but from my clogs it looked a little like a "tall tale".

Christine talks, energetically and FAST. She is an upbeat whirlwind at 6 am. First fixing her hair and makeup, she cheerfully let us throw capes over her head and then even asked for an Ice Princess fur headband. (Note to self: Christine would make a great Ice Princess should she ever decide to leave the world of TV). She walked us through the process of being on live TV, and told us she would give us about a 10 second warning... that seemed long enough, and we spent the next two hours mostly waiting for the next shot.

It was fun, we had a good time, and when we were taping inside Christine told our guys at the side bar that since it was morning TV they could toast with the ice glasses, but not drink, because we wanted to be careful not to show alcohol consumption. She didn't tell the Ice Queen, so when it was my turn, Hey! I DRANK! It was water with blue curacao just to show some color, but Sean our Ice Bartender, put real vodka down the luge, so I got my first drink of the day quite early! The one thing that seemed to be a problem was our drink names. We serve Seal Bite, which is red, Thin Ice, which is green, Yellow Snow (you figure it out), and our signature cocktail, Penguin Pizz.

The Pizz part gave them a lot of angst. Christine just could not bring herself to say the word, so she said, hey, the drink comes out like a Penguin PEZ !!! The anchor said HUH!

This was fun, we look forward to seeing ourselves on the news, and you can see it at:
http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/mornings/072109icebar

CHOCOLATE CITY PARTY

2009-07-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

Saturday the 18th of July is the 3rd Saturday, and another JADE Event at Icebar Orlando. This groups parties have been a mainstay for the local crowd enjoying the Icebar and the Fire Lounge. With the sponsorship of Godiva Chocolate this month, and the birthdays of Ernest Wilson, Sophia Jones and DJ Saxwell we expect to have a great crowd.

We roll out the red carpet, crank up the volume and welcome everyone with FREE champagne at the door and $2.00 per glass for this months' Birthday Celebrations.

The music, a creative combination of r & b, hip hop, top 40's will be mixed by DJ Saxwell and guest DJ Dr. Doom, who won the Jacksonville "People's Choice" award. A night to dance under the Nordic lights in the Fire Lounge.

With specials like $5.00 Long Island Ice Tea, $2.00 Domestic Draft, and $100 bottles with VIP service you are sure to be treated like loyalty by our Ice Princess and Icebar Team. The doors open at 9 pm and don't close until the wee hours.

A sell out is expected, so come early to get in, and it's for the grown ups only tonight, you must be 21 and dressed to impress..

In the past we have had many celebrities make appearances at Icebar Orlando, recently, Marcus Jordan came for a birthday party, we have had boxers, pro football players, basketball players, arena football players, and even a film star and producer. You never know who will show, so come, see,and be seen at the premier red carpet event of July.

Whacky Wednesday

2009-07-14T05:10:00.000-07:00

We adopted our first penguin from the wonderful folks at http://www.penguins.cl/. The name of the penguin is Ice Ice Baby. This International Penguin Conservation Workgroup has the cooperation of many of the best penguin research and conservation organizations and is a collaborative effort that will benefit all the habitats.

Did you know? Penguins can run faster than most men, and swim faster than most fish! Skeletons have been found that are about 50 million years old. These guys are designed to be the best fishermen in the world. While penguins are perfectly adapted to the environment in which they live, they are less able to cope with alterations of the environment brought about by commercial fishing, oil pollution and coastal development.

We'll be working to help make changes in the dangerous practices of some folks that are threatening the penguin existence. You can help! Adopt your own penguin, or just join us at Icebar Orlando on any Sunday where we feature Little Penguin Wine and donate all proceeds to Arctic and Antarctic preservation.

Hospitality Night At Icebar Orlando

2009-07-13T04:57:00.000-07:00

Every Monday at ICEBAR Orlando is Hospitality Employee Appreciation Night. This Monday is a special night where we have invited hundreds of hotel and tourism employees to visit ICEBAR Orlando free and see what we are all about.

Since it is by initiation, if you didn 't get one, shoot me an email to: sales@icebarorlando.com to get on the guest list. You must be an employee of hotel or travel business, and have ID to show at the door.

We're mixing up our best beverages to give you a taste of what we can do with Vodka. I will tell you that 95% of the people who come and say "I don't like vodka" become, "Where can I get this?" in one visit.

We will also share our Ice bar with you, the cape, the gloves, the glass made of ice. You will feel what the Arctic feels like, and you won't have to go 3,812 miles to get there.

We'll tell you the story of Little Penguin wine, and why we serve that brand. It's about conservation of habitat (that's a hint). We'll show you a good time.

See you tonight.