A martini is the most elegant of all cocktails. Slinky, silky, crisp, sophistication. If you’re going to make one, you want it to be the best, and lucky for you! Noah is here to share his opinions about just how to do that!!!
And that’s what there is to know. As you were.
When I heard from approximately a million people that Isaac makes the BEST whiskey sour they have ever had, obviously I had to capture the recipe for posterity and for all of you! And in fact, it gave me the idea for a new little video series: Classic Cocktails…with opinions. Wherein I corner one of our bartenders and ask them for a cocktail they make exceptionally well and have strong opinions about how to do it.
Isaac’s whiskey sour
1/2 oz. egg white or aquafaba
2 oz. Vikre Hay & Sunshine
1 oz. simple syrup
1 oz. lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with 3 medium ice cubes or a single large ice cube and shake really hard until you hear the ice having broken into shards and sound tinkly instead of clunky. Strain into a large chilled coupe.
Halloween! We hear the word and we think of jack-o-laterns, witches, ghosts. But mostly? We think of candy. In this era of Pinterest, it’s easy enough to come by ideas for Halloween cocktails that have been inspired by candy, but guess what. They’re mostly terrible. Tooth achingly sweet, not complex. Too much like…well, too much like candy, honestly. We decided to try to improve upon a few, working our Vikre craft cocktail magic (was there sorcery involved? Perhaps.) so that both your inner child and your grown-up palate can be delighted. These cocktails evoke the most essential elements of their candy inspirations without trying to replicate them outright. And without the sugar hangover. Whether you are taking kids trick-or-treating, hosting a Halloween soiree, or both, you’ll probably want to try one - or all - of these treats.
Instead of going straight for chocolate or mint liqueurs, we grabbed a bottle of Amaro Nardini, a bracing Italian digestif that has strong notes of mint and chocolate. Then we layered it with our vodka, chocolate bitters, and half-and-half for a bitter and invigorating take on a grasshopper cocktail that hints at a York Peppermint Patty but sips like a digestif comme dessert.
1.5 oz. Lake Superior Vodka
1 oz. Amaro Nardini
1 oz. half-and-half
4 dashes chocolate bitters
Shake all the ingredients with ice until chilled, then dump - ice and all - into a double rocks glass. Garnish with a mint sprig. If you like a sweeter dessert drink, feel free to add 1/4-1/2 oz of mint syrup, or go all out and blend the spirits and bitters with chocolate ice cream instead of using half-and-half.
How do you nod to caramel and biscuit without caramel and biscuit? The answer lies in the toast and butterscotch notes found in whiskey and sherry. This is basically a Manhattan made with sherry instead of vermouth. But calling it a Twix cocktail makes it so fun! Infuse the whiskey with cacao nibs first to get a hint of chocolate.
2 oz. cacao infused Honor Brand whiskey*
3/4 oz. Amontillado sherry
1/4 oz. brown sugar syrup**
2 dashes vanilla bitters
Stir all ingredients with ice until chilled. Strain into a lowball glass over a large ice cube.
*To make cacao infused whiskey combine 2 cups whiskey with 1/4 cup cacao nibs in a sealed jar. Allow to steep at room temperature for 3 days, up to a week. Strain through cheesecloth before using.
**To make brown sugar syrup, combine equal parts brown sugar and warm water and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Is there a way to pack a cocktail with tutti fruity flavors without making it ridiculous? Perhaps. We drew on the format of a Blood & Sand, which is admittedly kind of ridiculous, but in a way that works. Plus it has the word blood in it, so probably good Halloween inspo right there already. Here Cedar gin takes the place of Scotch so that the cherry, orange, and lemon can pop through more clearly. Garnish with a strawberry to give the drink the last (and greatest) of the original Starburst flavors.
1 oz. Cedar Gin
3/4 oz. sweet vermouth
3/4 oz. Cherry Heering
3/4 oz. orange juice
1/2 oz. lemon juice
a whole strawberry to garnish
Shake all the ingredients (except the strawberry) with ice to chill. Strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with the strawberry.
We are flavor first people, and we take great care to make each of our gins magically special. Each has a different set of over a dozen organic botanicals, and a different infusion process to coax out the precise flavor and balance we want for that gin.
Juniper Gin:
Is a sprightly and citrusy take on a traditional gin, making it perfect for classic cocktails or an amazing gin and tonic. It is sooooo smooth because we hone in on the berry and citrus notes of juniper berry and compliment them with fresh citrus peels, rhubarb, and pink peppercorn.
Spruce Gin:
Is gorgeously aromatic, floral, and herbal. It has extra piney notes, but not in a pine resin way. This is from soft spruce buds, lavender flowers, rosemary sprigs, and sage. Amazing in citrusy cocktails or for a martini of distinction.
Cedar Gin:
It's a cult favorite for a reason. Cedar is creative, complex, and subtly earthy. The juniper notes are softened with black currants, foraged sumac, and lots of baking spices like cardamom and ginger, plus a gentle cedar finish. Soften classic cocktails with it or use like a tequila or in an old fashioned.
How about the aquavits? Are you ready to take your aquavit knowledge to the next level?! Each Scandinavian country has different styles and regulations for aquavit.
In Sweden, aquavit is sometimes direct infused and often leans on sweeter botanicals like dill and fennel with less caraway. Danish aquavits are generally unaged and feature very caraway forward flavor.
Meanwhile, in Norway aquavits must be aged for at least 6 months and often incorporate many botanicals and citrus in addition to the caraway, with different styles intended to pair with different foods or occasions (eg. shellfish, mountain food, hikes, Christmas...)
Our Øvrevann aquavit is unaged, making it a little more Danish in style (it's OK, Norway and Denmark were one country up until a couple centuries ago! ;), but with the infusion of citrus and other botanicals like Norwegian aquavit.
Our Voyageur aquavit is aged for over a year in cognac casks, making it more Norwegian in style and particularly smooth for sipping.
Ok, I really do have aspirations of posting an occasional snappy blog post, as is recommended by marketing experts. Three easy cocktails for the holiday weekend, for example. Or what to do when you don’t have a shaker. Actually those are both really good ideas and I will do that. But for now, as an essayist and philosopher and artist at heart, I have another essay.
Perhaps this amalgamation of thoughts seems slow, late to the party (it’s not a party). Perhaps it does not. Surprised is the least of the things I felt with regards to the Supreme Court’s striking down of Roe v. Wade and the stripping of bodily autonomy from women, but like many others I still felt the waves of horror and grief tearing through my body. And still do. Not least because bodily autonomy is an important human right, and the idea that it should be removed just because it isn’t specifically referred to in a 300 year old document that doesn’t mention women at all (if women aren’t mentioned in the constitution, perhaps laws just shouldn’t apply to us anyway? And we certainly shouldn’t pay taxes. No taxation without representation.), but also and particularly because, let’s be serious, this decision by SCOTUS isn’t about abortion*. Banning abortions has been shown in multiple studies not to work. Banning abortion is primarily, and overtly, a tool to keep people of color and low-income people in poverty. That’s what this is about. That’s what the anti-abortion movement is really about. And it is – again, overtly – setting the stage to strip rights from other groups that are not cis-hetero-white males with money.
It’s important to check our urge to have an immediate response, and to make sure our responses are well thought out and truly crafted to help others, and help in the long term. For me, that means waiting through the fury and the desire to say many unsavory things about where various people can stick various objects. Anger has a place, and righteous anger can be oh so important to alert us to what is unjust, unfair, and in need of correction. But, action and speech taken while angry are brief and furious skirmishes. We need more to sustain us because this is a long, long haul. Always has been, always will be. And so I wait until I wade through the painful, icky muck and murk until I come back to a place of love. (Not pushover love though. Fierce love. Dogged love.)
And I say with love, we don’t have much money, we don’t have much power, but we will do everything in our ability to take care of others. At Vikre we believe that women’s rights, and BIPOC rights, and LBGTQIA rights, are human rights. To all who feel sad and scared right now, and/or have for years and/or for always, this a reminder that you deserve rights because you are in this world, you are human, you are unique and valuable and connected to everything else that is.
I’ve been thinking about and working on understanding power for years. In grad school, I studied the sociology of power under the tutelage of a wonderful Haitian sociologist (Hi Nesly!) He taught me about Bourdieu and the idea that power is culturally and symbolically created. He is also the first person who taught me about servant leadership (read Servant Leadership by Robert Greenleaf) and the idea of power-with, as opposed to power-over. You have power, whether you feel it right now or not. And with that power comes the power to grow power in others. I have a vision of a world where power always lights the power in others, abundant, instead of pie slices that people grasp. And a world where the more people we happen to lead, the more people we serve because that is what leadership is for.
Because power and leadership on a grand scale are built through the repetition of patterns and interactions on a small scale, you can start your work in yourself, in your interpersonal relationships, and your community. In fact, that’s where you had best start. We get really tied up in the grandiose, don’t we. I know I do. And feel like if we aren’t doing something giant, we aren’t doing anything at all. But rarely do any of us have the opportunity to make change that is sweeping and has immediately visible results on a large scale. The forces that are working hard to keep systems of oppression in place have been working systematically throughout communities for a long time to get here - dismantling education and public services; placing their own proponents in school boards, then local government, then state; promoting disconnect and distrust in organizations, institutions, communities; promoting the idea that toxic individualism is an ideal to strive for and that toxic individualism is freedom, when actually freedom is the freedom is to be yourself and to see that your true self is intimately and indelibly connected with everyone else. In order to build a different world where we can actually be free together, we must be willing to work as systematically and as long. We need protest, we need civil disobedience, we need yelling in the streets and calls to our legislators over and over again, we need local elections, and more. And we also need builders and connectors, artists and healers. Take imperfect action. Follow people who have been doing this work for a while. We need to love and vision so deeply and ferociously that we can see and build a new world one twig at a time. A new world that burns so brightly that it straight up sucks all oxygen away from the old one so that old one sputters and fades away. We can hope we will get to see it. We might not get to see it. We have to work for it still. Personally, I find this really really hard. I like accomplishing goals quickly as much as the next person. But, I’m trying.
I’ve been reading the Chronicles of Prydain with my kids. They’re Lord of the Rings-esque adventures, a world trying to wrest its grip from the Lord of Death. They’re filled with wisdom, sadness, joy, and beauty. At the end, the main character Taran decides to stay in the earthly world of Prydain rather than journeying to an enchanted world. And this part of the book struck me so much. “Taran nodded. “So be it,” he said. “Long ago I yearned to be a hero without knowing, in truth, what a hero was. Now, perhaps, I understand it a little better. A grower of turnips or a shaper of clay, a Commot farmer or a king – every person is a hero if they strive more for others than themselves alone. Once,” he added, “you told me that the seeking counts more than the finding. So, too must the striving count more than the gain.”
Anyway, I’m not an expert, and these aren’t instructions, they’re thoughts and observations, principles I try to explore and learn from and apply, even though I know our work will always be imperfect. There are experts to look to and learn from. I especially recommend looking to the leaders, thinkers, and writers who are women of color. For me I also think it’s so important to take great inspiration for action by looking to the work of artists. In the words of author David Whyte, “A good artist, it is often said, is fifty to a hundred years ahead of their time; they describe what lies over the horizon in our future world…The artist’s sensibility is one that grants life to things outside of our normal human ken.”
Yup. It’s another essay. The more our media consumption is chunked up into disconnected sound bites and super short format videos that frazzle all of our minds, the more important I think it is to also find moments to breath more slowly and think more deeply. For me, writing out the thoughts I ponder and piece together on walks is important. I share them not to be didactic but to connect, truly to share, in case you wish to share your own thoughts, or have something to think about yourself on your own walks.
As a triple bottom line company our values are deeply held and we try to live them every day in decisions small and large. Imperfectly, for sure, but live them, not just post them on a wall or put them in a binder. And on an almost daily basis I stop and think, ‘in a broken - and beautiful - world where there are so many things that I want to help with, why on earth make drinks.’ It becomes a particularly urgent-feeling question in the face of such a series of tragic and earth-shattering events as we have all been experiencing this spring. The news has been heavy for a long time and it just keeps getting heavier. The world and the news have always had a heaviness to them, I know. The glorious and the tragic always coexist. We just have ever more means to hear about all of it. And in some ways that gives me hope, because even though it doesn't always feel like it, I think more people care more about people outside of their tight circle than ever before. Anyway, as a general rule, I have very few answers about anything, really - other than things like, what is the perfect ratio for a sour? or what is the difference between binding and lifting bitters? But, I try to keep our work contextualized amidst everything. Not to aggrandize it. But to keep our hearts and minds on doing the good we can do in this particular circle of influence we have.
Drinks are a special thing in their own way. Sharing beverages is one of oldest, most communal pieces of being a human. A beautifully crafted beverage is a piece of art, an act of caring, a celebration, and an opportunity to connect with others and with yourself. It absolutely doesn’t have to be an alcoholic beverage. Coffee, tea, old fashioned lemonade…any drinks when made with care and extended to another are part of the beautiful celebration of connection. Connection and beauty. That simple, that grand. We happen to have a special affinity for the magical alchemy of botanicals, and stills, shaking, and stirring. While a wonderful and fun thing, we acknowledge this is an act that can be abused. Therefore we strive to focus deeply on quality and care while not losing our sense of playfulness and joy. Passionately and imperfectly striving to more perfectly create a conscious model through our funny little business.
This also brings me to hospitality, another one of our core values. We strive to make space for everyone at the table, to see the humanity in each other, in every guest, in every partner, in every vendor, or account. Again, it will always be imperfect. But it is worthy of effort. Businesses like restaurants, cafés, and bars have the special opportunity to be what is known as “third spaces.” A third space is a space that is a non-governmental and non-religious gathering space. Historically town squares could serve this role, civic centers, various interest clubs, and definitely spaces where food and beverages are served. In third spaces, people who may not be family, friends (at least to begin with), or even neighbors can interact with each other in ways that serve to foster community, connection, sense of place and ownership, and ideas. For example, the stock market (for better or worse, ha) was originally developed through conversations between people hanging out in coffee houses in France. Regulars can gain a sense of investment and ownership and connection with each other. People who have visited before might do some of the hospitality work of teaching a newcomer about how things work, what to order, etc. It’s a truly beautiful thing.
Now, I feel very strongly that businesses should not be expected to take the place of community. I think that's unhealthy and, to be honest, a potentially terrifying ultimate extension of capitalism replacing culture. And, businesses also shouldn't be responsible for the changes that the government needs to make to provide safety and security and better safety nets for all. That said, I think we can try as a business to be a positive contributor to culture and community, and that doing so matters.
And we also hope that beautifully, thoughtfully crafted beverages may be part of the welcome, the joy, the warm glow of many other community, family, and friend gatherings. It’s not everything, but it’s also not nothing, And when it comes down to it, isn’t that the case with all work. :)
I had the opportunity to chat with Cecilia Ramon yesterday, the amazing artist who created a wood installation for our cocktail room. Our conversation ranged about,hither and yon, and it contained more questions than answers, but it felt very Earth Day appropriate. We are both feeling off-kilter and unable to find a rhythm in a way that it is hard to describe. But, I think it is an experience that feels something akin to being on a treadmill that is going a different pace than you wish to move. And if you try to move more slowly, your walking becomes herky jerky. You feel you don’t have much choice other than to speed up or jump off. But, the speed is exhausting, and if you jump off, the feeling is lethargic, uninspired, it’s not the right place either. Perhaps you are feeling this in your core as well? I think it is a spiritual acknowledgment that we are not made to hurtle through the world at the pace of machines. But, we are also not meant to sit still. We need to remake our world again to go at the pace of the earth, of our bodies, of the bodies of plants and animals and water. This pace is varied and creative, rhythmic and humane and nourishing. And hard. Because most of our systems and expectations have now been set to operate otherwise.
I think about this in business every day. I ask myself the questions every day. It’s easiest to either reject the question or reject the whole system. The urge is either simply to steel ourselves and continue to move at the pace of notifications and content creation, competition, and infinite growth. Or to say, it’s all bad. Say no to growth, no to selling, no to any consumption. The hard work is for us to sit with it and in it and make all the choices. To know that there has always been exchange of goods and services and information – even trees do it – but it must be done with love and intention. That all things grow and change but that unlimited growth and accumulation is what makes something cancerous. That there is no point to profit unless that profit is used to further the prosperity of our planet, our community, and our families. That there is a middle way, and that middle way feels unstable to us because we live in a society that likes extremes and either-ors and answers.
Anywho, what has this to do with Earth Day? Well, a lot, it seems to me. Because to me, so much of striving for sustainability and making how we do business matter, rests both on the day to day choices and the durable systems that can be better made if we are willing to ask questions and think deeply. That this will make more of a difference to changing the pace of the treadmill than any flashy green-initiatives will. This is not to say we shouldn’t green-initiative the shit out of things. I could list all the things we do ourselves – in fact I will below because they are important and we are proud of them (and I admit we don’t talk about them enough because we are abashed Minnesotans who don’t like to toot our own horns any more than we like to take the last bar in a tray bake). But, I also want to plug adding mindfulness and a willingness to face against the uncomfortableness of speed and comfort without shutting down.
I also want specifically to applaud our amazing staff for how they apply thoughtfulness to their work every day. It’s one thing to put in a power point presentation or poster that your business values people, planet, and prosperity as a triple bottom line. But, living it out takes everyone looking for ways they can balance these choices in all the small decisions we make that add together to create greatness. Our staff ceaselessly questions, innovates, improves, and even revolutionizes our processes to make them better for our planet and our community. From improving our composting program, to bringing attention to package components that could be more sustainable, to using every useable bit of each fruit that comes through our kitchen, to finding and getting involved in a grain bag recycling program, to donating containers to a community garden program, and more. To work with thought and love every day of the year.
Maybe this really is a call to love, and to relationship. To being in a true relationship with the earth and with each other. Love and relationships sustain us, and they sustain action, and they sustain all the decisions. We need big actions, we need small actions, we need imperfect action we need sustained action. Just like in a relationship. It’s not all or nothing. It’s not hurtle along or get off. It’s creating a new rhythm. A world where ultimately people, planet, and profit are not seen as competing interests, but instead are always supporting and reinforcing each other’s needs.
Here are some of the things we do always:
-Zero-waste process
-Stretchy plastic recycling
-Closed water loop for to prevent process water waste
-Organic and local sourcing
-Choosing our packaging for recyclability and from manufacturers that use green processes
-Bottle return program
-Work with the St. Louis River Alliance and Friends of the Boundary Waters to protect and educate about water resources in our watershed
What will you do today? What will you do every day? The burden of action isn’t individual. But it also is. Both and, not either or.
It's Thanksgiving time!!! Woohoo! I mean, we all know Thanksgiving can be fraught in myriad ways, but let's make sure the drinks aren't. Here's my guide to what to drink this year - alcoholic and non alcoholic! - with your big meal.
Start here...
To app or not to app onThanksgiving? I think this decision depends on whether you are a family that does Thanksgiving as a late lunch or if it is supper. And whether anyone eats lunch earlier in the day versus saving it all for the dinner. I grew up in a no-app family (I mean, let's be serious, I grew up in a Norwegian family doing their best impression of what we imagined Thanksgivingw as like. Since subscriptions to food magazines made their way into our lives, however, Thanksgiving has become - in the immortal word's of Chico Bon Bon and the Maniac Muffins - a "taste sensation!!!") but when I lived on the East Coast, I joined friends in Maine for T-Day and they always had crudités and baked brie, and it was also awesome. Whether you are nibbling on snacks, or just turkey skin while you cook, the light and bright citrus, hibiscus, and quinine of Vélo Spritz is truly perfect for whetting the appetite. Serve it with a green olive and an orange wedge for max aperitif-ing. For an unbelievably delightful and complex NA palate-opener, try pouring a 2 oz. shot of espresso (or cold brew) over ice and topping with tonic water.
The main event...
Let's have a cocktail that screams "IT'STHANKSGIVINGAND I AM REVELING IN HARVEST DELICIOUSNESS" at the top of its lungs. That is to say, a cranberry-ginger-rosemary punch. We have this available as a kit at the distillery, so if you live nearby, allow us to do the work for you. Just stop on in to pick up a kit (we will have a spritz kit as well, yummmm). But, if you are farther flung, or simply feel gung-ho about making it yourself, here's a guide!
Cranberry Rosemary Punch
Serves 6
2 cups Øvrevann Aquavit
1.5 cup cranberry-rosemary syrup (see below)
1/2 cup lime juice
1 cup soda water
Mix everything together and serve over ice!
To make the cranberry syrup
Combine 1.5 cups sugar, 1 cup water, 1 cup fresh cranberries, 1/4-1/2 cup sliced fresh ginger (the ginger ginger gets mellow as you cook it, so it won’t make it spicy, but you can still decide for yourself how strong you want the flavor), and about 1/4 cup fresh rosemary. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a low simmer and cook until the cranberries have softened, about 15 minutes, crushing the cranberries to release their juices, stir in 1 cup unsweetened cranberry juice. Allow to cool, then strain through a fine mesh strainer.
To make an NA drink, use the cranberry-rosemary syrup and top it with spicy ginger beer or a sparkling pear juice.
Settle in...
There's a reason herbal and bitter drinks are traditional for closing out a meal, they really work to stimulate digestion and make you feel comfortably full and happy instead of overstuffed. I absolutely love to sip a nip of our Amaro Superiore on it's own or on ice as a digestif. But, I've also become very enamored of this savory aprés-dîner cocktail I learned from a friend a couple weeks ago, and I think it's a smashing finale forThanksgiving(and excuse to purchase some Madeira).Stir 1 oz. Øvrevann Aquavit, 1 oz. Madeira, and 1/2 oz. Amaro Superiore with ice just to chill, then strain into a cocktail glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with a lemon twist and an orange twist!If you don't want to invest in Madeira, you could also make this drink deliciously with sweet vermouth. (I do hope you have sweet vermouth at this point, otherwise my next email is going to have to be a touching tribute to the joys of vermouth to try to convince you.)
Want something non alcoholic? Make this tonic! Your tummy says thank you!
It’s getting chilly, the leaves are turning, and I feel like I can already smell winter on the way. We always try to spend as much time out of doors as possible, but this year in particular, I’m making a commitment to keep enjoying the out of doors - and especially socializing in the out of doors - even once it is solidly cold. Norwegians call it, friluftsliv, the free-air life. I call it, time to build a campfire! Here are two of my favorite recipes for fall from my book Camp Cocktails for you to try out around the campfire.
A whole water bottle full of Boulevardier!
That’s right, we can’t share flasks or cups because of Covid-times, of course, but you can still fill a whole water bottle full with a batched boulevardier cocktail and let everyone pour some into their own cup before enjoying. As a lover of Negronis, I also love almost all variations on the Negroni, and the boulevardier is a classic in its own right.
For a 32 oz. water bottle:
12.5 oz. Honor Brand Hay&Sunshine whiskey
6.25 oz. Campari (or our Amaro Superiore when it comes out this winter!!!!)
6.25 oz. sweet vermouth
6.25 oz of water in your water bottle.
Stir to everything together in your water bottle, and store until campfire time
(chill it if it is still warm where you are, don’t worry about it if you’re here in Duluth and it’s 45 degrees out, haha!).
Spiked Rosemary Cider!
It’s so easy to get caught up with cinnamon when we think about hot cider, it’s easy to forget how many other flavors apple loves, like woodsy herbs. This cider works rosemary and bay in, and it’s delicious alcohol-free in addition to spiked.
One 4-inch sprig rosemary
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
8 black peppercorns
two (2-inch long) strips of orange zest
32 oz. fresh pressed apple cider
6 oz. Cedar gin or Temperance River Rye whiskey
Combine the cider with the herbs and spices and heat gently until steaming but not bubbling. Allow to cook for 15-20 minutes to let the flavors infuse. Remove from the heat and stir in the Cedar gin or rye whiskey (if desired) before serving.
Ok, I have a confession to make: I have totally become a quarantine crafter. At first it didn’t seem like there was any way to actually fit in any crafts because I was busy binge-watching my two kids, haha, and trying to keep them from destroying every piece of furniture that we own. But, once I embraced mess and let my boys get their hands all up in the crafting as well, we have become a regular arts and crafts factory around here, and I am really enjoying it. So far we have made: a papier mâché cheetah, a salt dough owl, a stuffed animal pink amazon dolphin…and lest you think it’s only animal crafts all the time, we’ve also made a miniature air dry clay bakery, tried our hand at calligraphy (not good at it! Still had fun!), and painted the planets on those round cardboard things that come with frozen pizza (side bonus, you have to eat a lot of pizza to make all nine planets). I was talking about crafts with my awesome intern, Molly, and she had been making some fun things too, so obviously I demanded that she share what she had made!
Hi guys! I’m Molly! I just graduated from UMD with a major in sales and marketing, and I interned at Vikre for the spring semester. Of course, it turned out to be an unusual spring semester, but it gave me the opportunity to get creative with some of what we were doing. Emily suggested I come up with some stay at home craft ideas, and here is what I made.
Okay earring ladies, this post is for you! If you’re like me and you can never have enough “statement” earrings, then this activity will be so fun and relaxing for you. This is a super easy quarantine activity, even for beginner arts and crafters. I have never made clay earrings by hand before, so it was a fun experiment that worked out in my favor! Obviously the best thing to pair with making the clay earrings is a Frenchie cocktail or two.
What you will need:
Sculpey Clay-You can order this online from craft stores. I ordered mine directly from Sculpey. There are many different color assortment options. I just got the largest pack because I was way too excited for my craft ideas.
Earring Hooks-I ordered online as well. They can be found online at Micheals, JoeAnns, and Amazon, and I’m sure other places as well.
Optional: Gold Gilding Glue- I ordered this from Amazon. I already had this for my coaster project, farther down the blog. It was a great accent color to “gild the lily” on the earrings, but totally not necessary.
How to create clay earrings:
Select a color and role out until softened. Form the clay into a ball.
Take a smooth cup, I took a large mason jar, and flatten the clay into ¼ in. (I recommend at least 1/4 in. If they are smaller then that they break more easily. Some of mine did when I was putting the earring hooks on them. So thicker is better!)
Use an x-acto knife to create the earring shape you would like to make.
Poke a hole, about a cm down from the top where the earring hook can latch onto
Once you have crafted all the earrings you want to put them on a cooking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Set the oven to 275 degrees F.
I cooked my earrings for about 8 minutes, checking them every minute after 5 minutes.
Once they are hardened, take out of the oven and let them cool down.
Insert the earring hooks through the clay earrings.
Wear them with your favorite outfit, and rock it!
Molly’s roommate modeling earrings. These earrings are marbled. The easiest way to create this look is by rolling out 2-3 colors into long worms. Then you will roll and twist them together into one.
I found this idea from another women’s blog, Sarah Johnson. Below is the link to make these fancy coasters, that take minimal effort! They were so fun to make and really spice up my coffee table.
Usually when we think of pairing a drink with food, we think wine. But, it can also be really fun to pair cocktails with food. The fruits, herbs, acidity, and bitterness that you can play with in cocktails can make for creative pairings with food. Just think about what flavors are in the dish you are making and choose a cocktail that has complimentary, but different flavors in it. I wanted to share with you some of my favorite meal and cocktail pairings I’ve tried at home during the stay at home order. (Since goodness knows, trying to facilitate distance learning for your kids is enough to make anyone feel like pairing a cocktail with their dinner!) Do you have any favorite cocktail and meal pairings?! Let me know!
Lemon-Garlic Shrimp with a Martini
Lemon-Garlic Shrimp Recipe:
1 ½ lbs. Shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Tbs. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch pepper flakes
1 lemon
4 Tbs. butter, cut into ½ Tbs. pieces
Zest the lemon and set zest aside. Rinse shrimp and pat dry. In a large skillet heat the olive oil until it shimmers, then add garlic and pinch of pepper flakes and cook for about 1 minute, until the garlic is golden and fragrant. Add the shrimp and sprinkle with salt. Cook just until the shrimp is pink and curled, a few minutes. Then squeeze in the lemon juice, stir and remove from the heat. Off the heat, stir in the butter until it has melted. Sprinkle zest over the shrimp.
Serve over risotto or pasta.
Martini Recipe:
2 ½ oz. Juniper or Spruce gin
½ oz. dry vermouth
1 dash orange bitters
Stir with ice until chilled and strain into a martini glass or coupe. Garnish with a lemon peel.
Classically Italian- Spaghetti Bolognese with a Negroni
Spaghetti Recipe:
Technically, I never actually follow a recipe when I make spaghetti. I always just wing it. But if you want a recipe, Jamie Oliver’s is a good bet.
Negroni Recipe: (also pairs well with pizza!)
1 ½ oz. Cedar or Juniper gin
1 oz. sweet vermouth
¾ oz. Campari
Stir ingredients with ice to chill and strain into a low glass over an ice cube.
Chicken Tinga Tacos with a Cedar Paloma
Chicken Tinga Taco Recipe:
We eat tacos at least once a week because my kids looooove tacos. Half the time we make shrimp tacos, and the other half we make chicken. But, the Cedar Paloma works with either! My fave recipe for chicken tacos is from my friend Melissa’s book, The Minimalist Kitchen, but you can find it featured on a blog here: https://pinchofyum.com/the-best-chicken-tinga-tacos
Cedar Paloma Recipe:
2 oz. Cedar gin
4 oz. grapefruit soda
Lime wedge
Cayenne salt for rim*
*To make cayenne salt, mix a tablespoon of coarse salt with a pinch of cayenne pepper. Run the lime wedge around the rim of a tall glass and coat lightly with the cayenne salt.
Fill the glass with ice. Squeeze in the lime, add the Cedar gin and grapefruit soda and stir gently. Add more lime to taste, if desired.
Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos with a Cedar-ita
This picture is featured in my book Camp Cocktails. It is one of my favorite pictures from the whole book, and the recipes aren’t bad either, haha!
Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos Recipe:
This is another one where I never use a recipe. I just roast sweet potatoes with olive oil and salt and a little sprinling of chili powder until they are softened through and browned on the outside. Then, in a small heavy-bottomed pan I mix a can of black beans with a big scoop of salsa and bring to a gentle simmer to warm through. To serve, I use corn tortillas and layer in some black beans, some sweet potatoes, sprinkle in some queso fresco (or feta), avocado slices, chopped cilantro and squeeze a whole bunch of lime on top.
“Cedar-ita” Recipe:
2 oz. Cedar gin
¾ oz. lime juice
½ oz cointreau
¼ oz. simple syrup
Shake with ice and strain into an ice filled glass rimmed with salt
Vikre Cocktail Carts!
The bar cart, while not technically a necessary home fixture, is certainly a fun and useful bit of furniture to have. Bar carts are the ultimate in balancing form and function - a streamlined bar cart takes your the scrum of liquor bottles and, with the help of a quirky accessory or two, manages to make them chic. As we are all spending a little extra time at home (and perhaps as a result, having a little more fun experimenting with our home bars) why not track down a bar cart (you can hunt for a vintage one on etsy, peruse ebay, or order one from any number of furniture stores - from Target to West Elm), cozy it into a living room nook and start styling it?!
What are the essentials that I should put on my cocktail cart?
I always counsel people to start by picking one or two of your favorite cocktail drink to focus on, or a single seasonal favorite. Place the ingredients for those cocktails on the bar cart. Add your most eye catching cocktail glasses, a shaker and strainer, and jigger. Keeping lemons and limes in a bowl on your bar cart means they are always close at hand. Plus they can act as a pop of color and decoration to your cart!
A Warm Weather Gin Cocktail Cart
Ok, so it snowed over most of Minnesota yesterday, but a girl can dream of the warm weather that’s coming, and a bright cocktail helps. This cart is set up for an Aperol and Gin cocktail. Some of the essentials that I put on my cart include:
Mason cups
Shaker
Cutting board and knife
Lemons
Juniper Gin
Aperol
Simple Syrup
Ice container
Flowers to add to the summery feel
Aperol-Gin Spritz Recipe:
Ingredients:
Vikre Boreal Juniper Gin
Aperol
Lemon
Simple Syrup
Add 1 1/2 oz. gin, 1 1/2 oz. Aperol, 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice, 1/4 oz. simple syrup with ice into your shaker.
Shake until mixed thoroughly and the shaker is cold to touch
Add 5 fresh basil leaves and shake.
Strain into glass. Top drink with 1/2 oz. Prosecco.
Garnish with a basil sprig and enjoy!
The Ultimate Vikre Martini Cocktail Carts
Whether you are channeling your inner 007, hosting friends for a happy hour (someday…), or just want to be the most sophisticated version of yourself, a martini-focused bar cart can be surprisingly versatile. Set it up with a handful of spirits and modifiers and you’ll be able to make martinis that are dry, dirty, 50-50, or Vespers.
Ingredients on this bar cart:
Vikre Lake Superior Vodka
Vikre Boreal Juniper Gin
Dry Vermouth
Lillet Blanc (or Cocchi Americano)
orange bitters
Olives in a jar with olive brine
Lemons for garnishing
And here’s what you can make:
Vodka martini - 2 ½ oz. Vodka, ½ oz. dry vermouth, 2 dashes orange bitters, stir with ice, strain into a glass, garnish with a lemon twist
Gin martini - 2 ½ oz. gin, ½ oz. dry vermouth, 2 dashes orange bitters, stir with ice, strain into a glass, garnish with a lemon twist
Fitty-fitty martini - 2 oz. gin, 2 oz. lillet or cocchi americano, stir with ice, strain into a glass, garnish with a lemon twist
Vesper martini - 1 ½ oz. gin, ½ oz. vodka, ¼ oz. cocchi americano, stir with ice, strain into a glass, garnish with a lemon twist
Dirty martini - 2 ½ oz. gin, ½ oz. dry vermouth, splash of olive brine, stir with ice, strain into a glass, garnish with an olive
Create a color scheme with the spirits and liqueurs that you place on your bar cart by adding decorations like books, small sculptures, or plants. This is a great way to help the bar cart jive with your room.
This classics cart includes ingredients that not only look pretty, they will allow you to make a shockingly large array of classic cocktails with just a streamlined number of versatile spirits. Seriously, get ready to amaze your friends and intimidate your enemies with your cocktail setup. You’ll be the talk of the zoom happy hour circuit!
Ingredients on this bar cart:
Vikre Juniper gin (you can choose whichever Vikre gin you like most though!)
Honor Brand Hay & Sunshine whiskey
sweet vermouth
cocchi americano
Campari
Angostura bitters
lemons and limes in a bowl
And here’s what you can make:
Gin martini - 2 ½ oz. gin, ½ oz. cocchi americano, stir with ice, strain into a glass, garnish with a lemon twist
Fitty-fitty martini - 2 oz. gin, 2 oz. cocchi americano, stir with ice, strain into a glass, garnish with a lemon twist
Negroni - 1 ½ oz. gin, 1 oz. sweet vermouth, ¾ oz. campari, stir with ice, strain into a glass over an ice cube
Boulevardier - 2 oz. whiskey (bourbon), 1 oz. sweet vermouth, 1 oz. campari, stir with ice, strain into a glass over an ice cube
Manhattan - 2 oz. whiskey, 1 oz. sweet vermouth, 2 dashes angostura bitters, stir with ice, strain into a glass. Garnish with a cherry, if desired.
Old Pal variation - 1 oz. whiskey, 1 oz. cocchi americano, 1 oz. campri, stir with ice, strain into a glass over an ice cube
Old fashioned - 2 oz. whiskey 1-2 tsp. Simple syrup, 2 dashes angostura bitters, stir with ice, strain into a glass over an ice cube
Gimlet - 2 oz. gin, ¾ oz. lime juice, ¾ oz. simple syrup, shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
Whiskey sour - 2 oz. whiskey, ¾ oz. lemon juice, ¾ oz. simple syrup, 1 oz. egg white (optional), shake all ingredients with no ice until frothy. Add ice and shake really hard. Strain into a cocktail glass. Dash some angostura bitters over the top, if desired.
Tom collins - 1 ½ oz. gin, ¾ oz. lemon juice, ¾ oz. simple syrup, combine in a tall glass filled with ice. Top with soda water.
Cocktail Hour Bar Cart-Frenchie Edition (NEW!)
This cocktail hour cart set up makes me think of spring. The slowly warming weather here in Duluth is getting me into a spritz-y frame of mind! So Frenchie lovers, this is the bar cart for you! A few cases of Frenchie on the cart is almost enough to consider it fully stocked, since it’s a craft cocktail ready to drink. But, I’ve zhuzhed it up a little more with some extra drink options. The idea behind this cart is that you should be able to create a drink with little to no effort.
The essentials that complete the Frenchie cart are:
Frenchie canned cocktails
Two of my favorite lovely light wines from natural winemakers
Boreal Juniper Gin (can you spike your Frenchie cocktail with extra gin? Why yes! Yes you can, hehe.)
Lemon San Pellegrino (makes a great simple sparkling cocktail if you spike it with the Juniper Gin, or have it as an NA option!)
Strawberry and grapefruit syrup (add a splash to your Frenchie if you’re feeling in the mood for a little extra sweetness or fruitiness)
A bowl of citrus for garnishes
Cocktail glasses
Bouquet of tulips because it's springtime!
We are all staying at home these days, muddling through trying to find joy in a little extra down time, or maybe amusement in a little extra lonely time, or maybe a respite in a little extra crazy time with your kids home from school. However you happen to be doing today - because let’s be serious, some days we will be doing well and some we won’t - here are a few of our favorite activities so far, in case these suggestions prove helpful for you. Plus some cocktails to pair with them, if that’s something you would like!
I really love old Audrey Hepburn movies. My top favorites are: Sabrina, A Roman Holiday, and How to Steal A Million. I would pair any of these with an elegant sparkling cocktail like the French 75. Just shake 1 oz. Juniper or Spruce gin, 1/2 oz lemon juice and 1/2 oz. simple syrup with ice. Strain into a champagne flute and top with sparkling wine.
I’m also watching all the old episodes of the Great British Baking Show. They’re just so lovely, and non-stressful, and inspire me to bake with my kids. Pair with a gin and tonic or a classic gin bramble, which is oh so British. Shake 2 oz Juniper gin, 1 oz. lemon juice, and 1/2 oz. simple syrup with ice, then strain into a glass filled with ice (preferably crushed). Drizzle 1/2 oz. blackberry liqueur or berry syrup over the top of the cocktail. Pair the same cocktail options with rewatching all of Downton Abbey!
Joel says if you haven’t watched Chuck, go watch all the seasons of Chuck on Netflix. It’s a goofy spy comedy-drama from the late aughts. Chuck is a computer geek who isn’t living up to his potential and, long story short, he accidentally downloads a super computer into his brain and becomes a CIA asset and much hilarity and drama and romance ensues. Pair with a fitty-fitty martini to channel James Bond, but a lot lighter. Stir 1 oz. of any of our gins with 1 oz. of Dolin Blanc Vermouth or Cocchi Americano, 2 dashes orange bitters, and ice until ice cold. Strain into a cocktail coupe or martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist, if you desire.
Joel also recommends checking out the Essential Craftsman’s Spec House series on youtube. There are hours and hours (and hours and hours) of videos that go through and TEACH YOU TO BUILD A HOUSE! That’s pretty cool. Pair with an old fashioned. Stir 2 oz. of any of our whiskies (personally I’m pretty into our Special Old Bourbon as an old fashioned) with 1 tsp. of simple syrup (2 tsp. if you prefer a sweeter old fashioned), and 2 dashes of Angostura bitters with ice to chill. Serve over an ice cube or two and garnish with an orange peel coin, if you want.
Our visitor experience director Doug recommends watching Schitt’s Creek (and if you’ve already watched it, watch it again!). And pairing it with a cedar sour. Shake 2 oz. of our Cedar gin with 3/4 oz. lemon juice, and 3/4 oz. simple syrup with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass.
Our production manager Erin recommends listening to the Happiness Lab while drinking a can of our Frenchie canned cocktail. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/id1474245040?i=1000468548405
I love to geek out on art history - and the Art Detective podcast is like getting to go back to college and have the most engaging art history professor ever. Pair with something thought provoking and French like the Lucien Gaudin cocktail. Combine 1 oz. Juniper gin with 1/2 oz. each of cointreau, dry vermouth, and Campari, stir with ice then strain over an ice cube. Garnish with lemon peel.
Or, listen to how various people started their businesses that they built into empires, plus my favorite voice in radio, How I Built This with Guy Raz. Pair with a Boulevardier for maximum impact. Stir 2 oz. Hay&Sunshine Whiskey with 1 oz. sweet vermouth, 1 oz. Campari and ice until chilled. Serve over a couple ice cubes.
Quite possibly the very best option is to put Lizzo on Spotify, clear all your furniture out of the way and have a mood lifting dance party. You could have a gin and juice while you dance to Juice, just combine a shot of gin with half orange juice and half grapefruit juice.
My favorite at-home workout right now is doing yoga with Leslie Fightmaster on youtube. You should probably pair this with a green juice or berry smoothie not a cocktail, haha.
I’m teaching myself embroidery with a simple embroidery kit. It’s very soothing to focus on at night after the kids are in bed, and there are lots of full kits available from Etsy. Just make sure you find one that comes with embroidery thread. I would pair an embroidery project with a Frenchie cocktail or a hot toddy - combine 1.5 oz. whiskey, 1/2 oz. each of lemon juice and honey in a mug and top with 4 oz. hot water.
Cook yummy food! My old friends at Food52 have a list of the easy comforting things they are cooking during quarantine. You could cook your way through Alison Roman’s Dining In. I love Alison Roman’s cooking style (maybe because she has almost all the same favorite foods as me, haha). And if you’re looking for lots more cocktail recipe ideas, I guess you could order my cocktail book. Camp Cocktails totally double as quarantine cocktails.
We hope you are all staying safe, staying well, and staying home. Much love to you all!!!!
Quick, say the first two words that come to mind when you think of New Year’s Eve. Sparkles and bubbles, right??? I can think of nothing that is more associated with New Year’s Eve celebrations than champagne.
I will be the first to say that champagne is the perfect drink and never gets old. I will never say no to a glass of champagne, but I will also always say yes to a spritzy sparkling cocktail. There’s something extra festive about adding pizzazz to your bubbly, and it’s even more fun if they’re champagne cocktails that you haven’t heard of before. Here are the three that I’m making this year:
This cocktail takes the boozy, bright soul of a French 75 and gives it a sophisticated, edgy bitterness with Campari. Because in cocktails, as in life, a splash of Campari makes everything that much better.
1 oz. Cedar Gin
½ oz. Campari
¼ oz. lemon juice
½ oz. simple syrup
Dry champagne (or other sparkling wine)
Shake all the ingredients except the champagne with ice until chilled. Strain into a coupe or champagne flute and top with the champagne. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Vodka did not become popular in the United States until the invention of the Moscow Mule, and the Moscow Mule didn’t become popular with me until I decided to make it with ginger syrup and champagne instead of ginger beer.
3/4 oz. Lake Superior Vodka
½ oz. ginger syrup*
½ oz. lime juice
Dry champagne (or other sparkling wine)
Shake all the ingredients except the champagne with ice until chilled. Strain into a coupe or champagne flute and top with the champagne.
*To make ginger syrup, combine 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup water and 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh ginger in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for at least an hour before straining. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Store in the refrigerator in an air tight container until you are ready to use.
I find myself not infrequently operating on the principle that if X is good and Y is good, X+Y will probably be pretty good too. This is the type of thinking that brought us the cronut and the pie milkshake, so how wrong could it be? In this case I put together two of my favorite drinks, the Last Word and champagne with great success. You get the sweet-tart-herbal, one-two(three) punch of the Last Word but lightened with effervescence.
½ oz. Juniper or Spruce gin (I like either one in this particular cocktail!)
½ oz. Green Chartreuse
½ oz. Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
½ oz. lime juice
Dry champagne (or other sparkling wine)
Shake all the ingredients except the champagne with ice until chilled. Strain into a coupe or champagne flute and top with the champagne.
Ponyboy
Apricoy-infused Øvrevann Aquavit, coconut milk, turmeric syrup, lime
Tropical Goth
Voyageur Aquavit, pineapple juice, coffee hazelnut syrup, lime
Pears Eat Oats
Lake Superior Vodka, lemon, brown sugar, pear juice, oat milk
Chequamegon Sour
Hay & Sunshine Whiskey, bay syrup, lemon juice, egg white
Frenchie
Boreal Juniper Gin, sparkling rosé, lemon oleo
Frenchie Noir
Boreal Juniper Gin, sparkling rosé, lemon oleo, black currant syrup
Odd Job
Olive oil-washed Juniper Gin, Americano
The Gals of November
Øvrevann Aquavit, Deep Breath tea syrup, lime, mint
Vie Eau Claire
Voyageur Aquavit, Hay & Sunshine Whiskey, fig and honey vermoose, benedictine-esque amaro, bitters
Palabra Ultima
Boreal Cedar Gin, black currant syrup, fauxpari 4.0, lemon
Zero Proof Signature Cocktails
Stormy Eyes
Deep breath tea syrup, lime juice, fizz
Noel Fielding
Pineapple juice, lime juice, hazelnut coffee syrup
Edmund Spritzgerald
Black currant syrup, lime juice, hazelnut syrup, fizz
Root Beer
Rootbeer syrup, lemon juice, fizz
Kiddley Divey
Pear juice, turmeric syrup, beet shrub, lime juice
Romero
Egg white, rosemary grapefruit juice, black currant syrup, lemon juice,
©2019 Vikre Distillery. All rights reserved.
Tasting Flight
Choice of 4 spirits, house tonic, lime
___ & Tonic bodacious
Choice of clear spirit, house tonic, lime
Dram O’ Whiskey
Really Old Fashioned spirit forward
Choice of spirit, sugar, bitters, orange twist
McGregor’s Revenge earthy, bright, boozy
Carrot-Infused Boreal Cedar Gin, ginger vermoose, pickled ginger juice
Oolong Island Iced Tea easy sipper
Oolong-Infused Vodka, Øvrevann Aquavit, Boreal Juniper Gin, fauxpauri 2.1, pomegranate molasses
Brighton Peach fruity & herbal
Boreal Juniper Gin, peach puree, blueberry basil
syrup, acid phosphate
Wingman citrusy & aromatic
Øvrevann Aquavit, grapefruit cordial, lime juice,
Cayenne Salt
Haus-Kegged Frenchie * spritzy & citrusy
Boreal Juniper Gin, sparkling rosé, lemon oleo
Taconite Cowboy boozy & smooth
Voyageur Aquavit, sassy vermoose, fauxpauri
Fancy Hat light but rich
Sugarbush Whiskey Lot 6, pineapple vermoose,
haus bitters, mint
Matcha Do About Nothing creamy & grassy
Boreal Spruce Gin, matcha, coconut milk,
lime juice, lemon oleo
Irish Wristwatch boozy & fruity
Honor Brand Hay & Sunshine, rhubarb & root
syrup, orange liqueur, lemon juice, fabbri cherry
Snazzerac boozy & aromatic
Sugarbush Whiskey, Voyageur Aquavit, absinthe vert, house bitters, sugar, lemon peel
* On Tap
We are so excited to share a little update with you from our dear friend Kevin Evans, of the Duluth Whiskey Project. Kevin has worked with us as a volunteer since before we even opened. In the early days he spent many late nights and weekends with Joel running the stills, giving tours, and representing Vikre out in the world.
Look! It’s Kevin fiddling with a steam valve! Hi Kevin!
Since the beginning, Kevin has been working toward starting his own distillery. Over the past couple of years he has been working on distilling his own whiskey in our facility on the weekends. Over the past couple months he has begun bottling his own whiskey in our facility too. Now Kevin has launched his own line of flavored spirit whiskeys, including honey, cider and mint.
You can learn more at his website.
We’ve gotten a lot of questions about the Duluth Whiskey Project, since we share an address. Duluth Whiskey Project isn’t part of Vikre. But he uses our facility. To summarize: Duluth Whiskey Project products are made in our facility independently by Kevin. And Kevin is our friend. Way to go Kevin!
Tasting Flight
Choice of 4 spirits, house tonic, lime
___ & Tonic
Choice of clear spirit, house tonic, lime
Really Old Fashioned
Choice of clear spirit, sugar, bitters, orange twist
- with Voyageur or Hay & Sunshine +3
- with other whiskey +5
Daiq, Daiq, Grey Daiq
Banana-infused Øvrevann Aquavit, brown sugar, lime
Sugar Lips
Hay & Sunshine Whiskey, apple cider, lemon bay leaf peppercorn syrup, sherry, maple sugar
Morocco’s Modern Life*
Lake Superior Vodka, ras el hanout, orange soda
I’m Just Not that India
Øvrevann Aquavit, almond milk, curry syrup
Fig Leif
Hay & Sunshine Whiskey, fig syrup, lemon, egg white
Blonde Walks Into a Bar
Hay & Sunshine Whiskey, ginger, maple, fizz, lemon
Twinportslandia
Voyageur Aquavit, black currant cacao syrup, cacao bitters
Shipol
Øvrevann Aquavit, salted licorice syrup, cream
Ume Oh Mye! choice of clear spirit, ume soda
On The Fence*
Boreal Juniper Gin, dry vermoose,
fauxpari, orange liqueur
* On Tap
Please see full menu book for:
Zero Proof & Classic Cocktails, Snacks
Lake Superior is our spirit guide and inspiration. We've decided, as a business, to spend this summer reaching out to people and organizations in order to learn more about the Lake and the watershed, the challenges the Lake is facing, along with the benefits and uniqueness of the world's largest body of freshwater. One person we've connected with is Mary Dougherty whose project, Words for Water is a gorgeous visual exploration of people's connection to Lake Superior.
Mary was also kind enough to answer a few questions about her inspiring project for me! Read on to learn more...
Firstly, of course I can get a description of the project from your website, but I was wondering, could you describe the project, especially how you came up with it and what your vision for it is in your own words?
The idea for Words for Water (like most good things) happened around our kitchen table. My husband and I came up with this idea of getting lots of people to speak for the water in their own words, and then allowing me to stitch them into a collective story. I pose the question, “if you could speak for water, what would you say?” and the participant writes their word or phrase on a chalkboard. I take their photo, add it the collection of words I’ve gathered and stitch it into our collective love story to Lake Superior and our homes. Those of us who live near Lake Superior -- less than .0049 percent of the world's population -- are the direct stewards of Lake Superior and we need to lend our words, and voices, to that enormous and vulnerable body of water.
The Words for Water story is grounded in the values that are important to us: clean water, strong communities, our rural heritage, and a healthy environment. Our role, as residents of the Lake Superior Basin, is to create a bedrock of commonality that all questions about our future are filtered through....just like Lake Superior and the healthy watershed we are speaking for.
I am passionately and completely in love with storytelling. I think that storytelling has the power to change the world and I think that's what we're missing in these fights to preserve what we love. We have to tell our stories, the stories of who we are now, and who we were before, to give the generation that comes after us context and connection. That information is really important in community. It provides a tether back to where you came from. The words I’ve gathered so far: pristine, fragile, help me, job security, love, bimaadiziwin (living a good life) and freshwater stronghold, have weight and if there ever was a time to wield that power, it’s now.
Are there any connections you've made or stories you've heard from people that really stood out as memorable? Surprising?
I took the project out to Standing Rock in November 2016 to gather the words for water that are spoken on the Great Plains, in hopes that I would find some of the words we speak at the headwaters of the Great Lakes….and I did. Our words for water, written hundred so miles apart and in two very different places, were remarkably similar and that strengthened my belief that, when it comes to water, our common ground is vast and transcends the human constructs of boundaries.
Don Albrecht, a friend and photographer from Bayfield who passed away in April 2017, provided the first word for that trip to Standing Rock. Don did a Words For Water photo at the beginning of the project and he got in touch with me before we left and said he had an idea for another Words for Water photo. While I was excited to travel to Standing Rock, I didn't have a sense of how their words would weave into our Lake Superior story. When Don shared his word, Connection, with me on that November afternoon, I knew he had written the first word in our fourth chapter in the Words for Water story. Don shared that connection was the unifying theme in his life...that he sought to create connections between places and people with his words, his work and his images.
A few weeks before he passed away, Don asked us to light a candle because he didn't want the light to go out and I remembered our conversation on the beach in November-- when he said felt compelled to write because words endure after we've moved on. And it’s our stories, individual and collective, that will become the candles that never go out...shedding our light when we’ve moved on.
What do you wish businesses in the region - like ours - would do or take into consideration when it comes to taking care of our great lake?
We live in a watershed that’s both immense and fragile. Businesses who choose to set up shop in the Lake Superior Basin need to be acutely aware of the benefits and responsibilities that come along with this region and act accordingly. Ten percent of the world’s freshwater is on our doorsteps and all decisions related to the businesses bottom-line must also be examined from the Lake’s bottom-line — clean and abundant water in an increasingly thirsty world.
You can view the photographs collected for WFW at: www.wordsforwater.com
Mary also has a GoFundMe, if you're interested in supporting the project.
