The Vikre Voyage 2024
A number of years ago, we started an annual tradition of visiting a bunch of the bars/restaurants around town using Vikre spirits all in one day and calling it the Vikre Voyage. It's a friendly little competition between the fantastic bartending talent in town, "judging" (ok, really we are mainly enjoying and applauding the excellence!) the cocktails on creativity, appearance, flavor, balance, and showcasing the Vikre spirits. This year's Voyage was EXCEPTIONAL. We had to pick a winner because we said we would but they were all SO GOOD and I can't wait to enjoy them again. So really, everyone is a winner, and you will be too when you try the tasty delights these establishments have to offer. In no particular order - other than the order the photos were in my phone - drumroll please!!!!
🌟Overall winner: Lake Avenue Cafe with the "Midnight Train to Oslo" featuring coffee-blueberry infused Øvrevann Aquavit, Herbal Liqueur, port, Sfumato Amaro, and chocolate bitters. Did John also bribe us with chocolate? Yes. And we all know bribery works. 😘 But in all honesty, the cocktail was stunning. It was the ideal nightcap with the sweetness of blueberry and cherry evened out by the bitter chocolate and coffee and just a wisp of smoke. Just so good.
🌟Runner up: Pizza Lucé with the "Wind and the Lion," a perfect and quaffable mix of Øvrevann aquavit, Herbal liqueur, Aperol thyme syrup, and lime. Plus a zhoug-sugar rim! This was such a beautifully balanced drink. An epic sipper that hit all the exact right notes of sweet and tart, ever so gently bittersweet and herbal, and just generally perfect.
🌟Most creative: Burger Paradox with the wonderfully aromatic "Caraway'ed" cocktail. A quick infusion of caraway and cinnamon into Øvrevann aquavit with orange juice and coconut milk. Rich yet light and beautifully spiced. This was great with their salty snacks and would be oh so perfect for brunch.
🌟Best Reason to Open a Tab: Zeitgeist Restaurant with the lovely "Daisy Chain" cocktail. This cocktail is the perfect way to start of the evening and keep it going with a juicy and bittersweet blend of Øvrevann aquavit, elderflower, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, honey simple, and lavender bitters. A perfect palate pleaser.
🌟Most Beautiful: At Sara’s Table-Chester Creek Café with the "Spring Fling" cocktail. Not only was this cocktail DELICIOUS it was gorgeous, featuring Øvrevann aquavit, Herbal liqueur, muddled strawberries, mint, agave, lemon juice, and aquafaba.
🌟Most Spirited: The Jade Fountain with an Herbal Swizzle. This was a tropical and absurdly scrummy mix of Herbal liqueur, pineapple, falernum, and lime. This one is an instant classic we want to return to again and again!!!!
🌟Best Dinner Date: Lake Superior Brewing. The "Fake Spring" cocktail was the most perfect cocktail for the snowy day we were having, not to mention sooo good with food, making it the perfect dinner date and perfect to have on a dinner date! Juicy, a little spicy, and not too sweet, it featured Øvrevann Aquavit, Herbal Liqueur, orange and lemon juices, hot honey, egg white, and thyme with a sumac and chili rim.
🌟And the Oops I just had 5! award goes to the Boreal House for their "On Harbor Time" cocktail, which is also the most fitting name for this incredible easy sipper. With Øvrevann aquavit, Herbal liqueur, lemon, and soda water it was light and spritzy and goes down so easy. It tastes like an afternoon lounging in the sun by the water feels.
Congratulations to all of our wonderful Vikre Voyage participants! We could not love you more. And we wish we were drinking all these cocktails again now, and if you are reading this, make sure you get out there and support all these establishments that we are so lucky to have. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️