The Best Spirits are Made in the Wildest Places

Back in July, my younger brother and his girlfriend were in town, visiting from Oslo. They were here for my other brother's wedding, but while I had them captive I thought, why not put them to work in a project idea I had had tossing around in my mind for a while?  Why not, indeed?  I wanted to create a series of photos of very urban-looking bartenders serving fancy cocktails to people out in the beautiful wild spaces we have in Duluth.  To try to capture the spirit of who we are, the idea that world class spirits can be made in far-flung, wilderness-y places.

I don't think my brother or his girlfriend had any idea what I was getting at, but they were game to come with us out into the woods.  So, we gathered together our canoeing, fishing, hiking, and stand-up paddle board gear, along with fancy glasses, garnishes, shakers, and fake tattoos (for Caitlin and me.  Neither of us have enough real tattoos to pull off the bartender look, haha).  We picked up Even and Eline and headed out for a hilarious and fun day of bartending in the out of doors.  Though they go for insanely epic hikes and XC-skis in Norway, Even and Eline didn't really know how to canoe or SUP.  But they learned quickly while we focused on applying our tattoos and trying not to break any delicate coupes or let the garnishes wilt too fast in the heat of the day.

We thought we would share the photos with you because we think the best spirits really are made in the wildest places.  And because I find them amusing.  And yes, I definitely did fall off of a stand up paddle board fully clothed, which is why I'm standing in the water in the second picture.  I did not spill any of the drink!