Joe Kline / The Bulletin Sally Champa, co-owner of Hop in the Spa in Sisters, holds a handful of hops over one of the spas wooden tubs. Champa brews a proprietary blend of hops, barley, herbs and essential oils for visitors to bathe in before a massage.

SISTERS — Lying in a bathtub filled with a brew containing hops and barley has been part of life in certain parts of Europe since the Middle Ages, said Mike Boyle, co-founder of Hop in the Spa in Sisters.

However, Boyle added that beer baths were nowhere to be found in America until Hop in the Spa opened in February.

“We’ve got people flying in from all over the country to try this,” Boyle said. “It kind of put Sisters on the map.”

Boyle met Sally Champa, a massage therapist and practitioner of the Indian system of medicine known as ayurveda , while recovering from a car accident in 2015. The pair inked an agreement with Deschutes Brewery to create a flight of bath brews — a dry blend of hops, barley, herbs and oils — based on different beers offered by the brewery.

Boyle, a resident of Sisters for 28 years, found a space near the western end of Sisters’ main boulevard that could house a spa, which held its grand opening Feb. 13.

“Our experience isn’t a typical spa experience,” Boyle said Friday.

Hop in the Spa offers several packages, including an overnight stay package through the nearby Sisters Bunkhouse. However, the basic package involves a soak in a tub filled with a proprietary mix of herbs and hops, brewed onsite, followed by a massage.

While visitors won’t get drunk from soaking in the mixture, Champa said, the brew relieves stress while it moisturizes and softens the skin, making visitors more receptive to the massage after soaking for about 25 minutes.

“We’re trying to make this more of a therapeutic, medicinal spa because of my background,” said Champa, a graduate of the California College of Ayurveda.

While limited data exist on the therapeutic benefits of beer baths, several anecdotal accounts suggest exposure to hop-based brews can improve skin health.

At Hop in the Spa, visitors arrive and can choose a complementary glass of beer or wine before getting into a tub. Thanks to a licensing agreement with Deschutes Brewery, the spa offers beers by the brewery, and several rooms are named after such Deschutes beers as Black Butte Porter.

“We’re kind of powered by Deschutes,” Boyle said. “Had it not been for them, we probably wouldn’t be in this business.”

Boyle said several new features at Hop in the Spa will be ready by late spring. Construction is underway on a beer garden on the back porch of the 1,700-square-foot building, along with several cabanas that would contain tubs for evening baths.

Champa added that going forward, they are looking at expanding into Bend and are in talks with hotels in Berkeley, California, and Durango, Colorado.

—Reporter: 541-617-7818, shamway@bendbulletin.com

Q: Is there a target market you’re going after?

A: Sally Champa: Well, we do want to see more men come into the spa. This is a way to get them in the door; give them a beer, and they absolutely love it.

Q: What makes Central Oregon a good fit for a beer spa?

A: Mike Boyle: Obviously, it’s kind of the microbrew capital. When we went looking for hops, there were 30, 40, 50 places to look. I think the lifestyle, and obviously Deschutes Brewery, make it a good fit.