Dubai’s Bars Serve Drinks With 100,000-Year-Old Ice From Greenland’s Glacier

Sipping on a drink with refreshing ice cubes is a universal pleasure that invigorates the soul. However, in Dubai, you can anticipate an extra touch of indulgence. In a one-of-a-kind venture that brings a touch of the Arctic to the desert city, people can enjoy their drinks with a special twist – ice that has been around for 100,000 years. This extraordinary offering is made possible by Arctic Ice, a Greenland-based company that harvests glacial ice that has broken away from ancient glaciers and transports it to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Launched in 2022, Arctic Ice recently dispatched its first shipment of 20 metric tonnes of this millennia-old ice to exclusive bars in Dubai. A video posted on the company’s Instagram account sheds light on the entire process, stating that the ice, originally destined to melt into the ocean, is now transported to Dubai while still in its frozen state.

Take a look at the video here:

A post shared by ArcticIce (@arctic_ice_officiel)

Malik V Rasmussen, co-founder of Arctic Ice, shares in the video that this ice is “the purest you will ever taste.”

As per the company’s official website, Arctic Ice is sourced directly from the untouched glaciers of the Arctic, where it has remained in a frozen state for a period exceeding 100,000 years. These specific portions of the ice sheets have maintained their purity, untouched by contact with soils or contamination from pollutants generated by human activities.

“This makes Arctic Ice the cleanest H2O on Earth,” it added.

What sets this ancient ice apart is its unique characteristics. In Greenland, the use of glacial ice in beverages is commonplace, but attempts to export it have been unsuccessful until now, according to the report by the Guardian.

Rasmussen explained to the news outlet that the ice, compressed over millennia, is devoid of bubbles and melts more slowly than regular ice. Additionally, it is purer than the frozen mineral water typically used in Dubai’s ice cubes.

However, the venture has not been without controversy. Social media users argue that harvesting ancient glacier ice for consumption raises environmental concerns. Furthermore, questions have been raised about whether the company should be more focused on addressing the impacts of global warming rather than commercialising glacier water. Some have even labelled the venture as a glimpse into a dystopian future.

In response to the criticism, Arctic Ice asserts that its practices are environmentally friendly. They specifically seek ice that has broken off glaciers and has not come into contact with the bottom or top of the glacier.

Rasmussen sees this idea as not only offering a unique product but also as a potential economic boon for Greenland. Acknowledging that the region traditionally relies on income from fishing and tourism, he expressed a desire to diversify revenue streams, stating, “For a long time, I have wanted to find something else that we can profit from,” the Guardian report suggests.