Pop-Up Ice Bar Embraces Freezing Philly Weather

The country is currently in the grips of a massively cold winter, with the Northeast getting particularly slammed with freezing temperatures, icy sidewalks, and buckets of snow. Even the northernmost parts of my home state, Florida, land of sand and sun and year-round heat, is seeing flurries! The year 2018 is only a few days old, and it already has a personality: chilly. Extreme situations will always breed creativity, however. After Irma in Florida, my family reported seeing a homemade stand on a busy road selling coffee and fresh avocados. We’re a bit short on avocados here in Philly, but what we do have is ice. And that’s what the creators of Pegsicle, the pop-up ice bar currently in its second year of existence at La Peg at Fringe Arts along Columbus Boulevard and Race Street are banking on.

The weather outside may be frightful, but the drinks at ice bar Pegsicle are delightful… at least until the weather warms up!

This year, Pegsicle is set to open on January 11th. How long it stays open is up to the capriciousness of Mother Nature, as the “bricks” supporting the ice bar have to remain frozen, and that requires a sustained period of freezing temperatures. Brand Histand, the GM of Le Peg, explains how it happened last year: “So last year what we did is, we got 16 blocks of ice and we carved a really cool bar out of the ice and lit it up,” he said. “We did it for a week then we had a couple 50 degree days and it melted which was kind of depressing.”

This year, Pegiscle will be bigger and better, with elaborate ice sculptures carved by local artisans, in addition to the ice bar itself. The management of Le Peg is currently soliciting artists to submit their sketches of ice sculptures. Pegiscle will also feature fire pits and chimneys for those brave enough to face the elements, while also having toasty seating inside Le Peg for those (like me) who don’t appreciate the January chill.