This excerpt was originally published in Pre Shift, our newsletter for the hospitality industry. Subscribe for more first-person accounts, advice, and interviews.
This is the second installment of our series Getting on the Map, presented by Apple Maps. Over the next three weeks, we’ll be sharing how some of the most creative bars and restaurants are marketing themselves to stand out in a crowded hospitality scene.
Guest shifts—where visiting bartenders pop up at host bars to serve signature drinks or collaborate on a limited-edition menu—are ubiquitous if you live in a city with a popular nightlife scene. But in recent years, some figures in the industry have been criticizing the practice. Complaints include the fact that they can be confusing to guests, dilute the quality of both teams’ drinks, and sometimes prioritize brands and influencers over loyal regulars.
After a few experiences with their own guest shifts, the team behind Oslo’s Himkok knew they wanted to do something different. Their solution, dubbed Nordic Sessions, aimed to address the criticism of the typical bar takeover, create more genuine connections between people in the industry, and spread the word about their bar and the products they use and love. I asked Himkok’s head of R&D Paul Aguilar how it works.
Mary Anne Porto: Can you explain what Nordic Sessions are?
Paul Aguilar: Nordic Sessions are cultural immersions where we bring bartenders, journalists, and brand partners together to experience the places, traditions, and ingredients that inspire our bar. We wanted to give people a deeper understanding of who we are and create relationships through shared experiences. Bringing people into those environments helps them understand the thinking behind the bar and our drinks. They generally take place over two to four days and [past sessions have included] cross-country skiing, mushroom foraging, hiking, [celebrating] midsummer by the coast, and spending time in a Norwegian cabin.
Besides the cultural immersion, how do these sessions impact your business?
Norway is an extremely restrictive market for alcohol marketing, so the usual promotional value of a guest shift [aka a bar takeover] is limited for us and our partners. Nordic Sessions allow us to create high-quality films and photography for partners to use in other markets where permitted [and for us to use] on social media.
Have you been part of traditional guest shifts or bar takeovers? What have you liked and disliked about the format?
We have hosted many guest shifts. We enjoyed welcoming people and returning the hospitality of those who had previously hosted us. But we received repeated feedback from guests who had come to experience Himkok and found something different.
Sometimes they were disappointed with the cocktails, and we have to take that seriously. A visiting bar’s drinks and working methods do not always translate smoothly into another venue. Hosting another team also means changing preparation, service, and organization, which puts pressure on our staff; we are 12 people for a 350-person capacity bar.
There is a considerable investment of time, travel, and accommodation [that goes into a guest shift], and we began questioning how much value remained once the evening was over. Sharing several days [together during Nordic Sessions] creates space for conversations that are difficult to have during a busy service. It is a better fit for how we want to host people and work with our partners.
How do you decide which cultural immersions to organize?
We want participants to leave with a better understanding of the culture and something personal to draw from afterwards. We started with things that are part of Norwegian life: skiing, hiking, cabin culture, foraging, food traditions, and the way people spend time together. Something that feels ordinary to someone living here can be completely new to a visitor.
What has been your favourite Nordic Session so far, and why?
Each one has brought something different, but hiking Trolltunga [a cliff in Ullensvang, Norway] really stands out. The group included Gabriele Armani, a legend in the World Class [bartending competition] community who loves hiking, alongside Shay Waterworth from Drinks International, [and bartenders] Shingo Gokan and Nóra Földvári.
The hike was tough, mainly because of the weather. We got soaked, and everyone had to push through and support each other. Johnnie Walker sponsored the session, and its “Keep Walking” message made perfect sense for the experience because we were going on a challenging hike together. Some of the best conversations and friendships grew from that moment.
How do your brand partnerships work? Are there posting requirements?
We work with [spirits], nonalcoholic brands, glassware companies, food producers, and retailers. We are open to collaborating with anyone whose products or expertise can contribute meaningfully to the experience. We approach potential partners [and explain] why their involvement makes sense and what we can achieve together. Some relationships grow naturally from products we already use [at the bar].
We work with our filming partner, Oioioi, to create a main film, shorter edits [for social media], and photography that brands can use. We discuss the formats, usage rights, and publishing plans [with sponsors], and the deliverables vary by partnership. Participating bartenders are also asked to share their experience and publish a simple drink featuring the sponsors’ brand.
What are your plans for future sessions?
We want to take Nordic Sessions beyond Norway while keeping that connection to local culture. We are currently working on an experience in Iceland for November. The idea is to apply the same approach in another place, learning from its people, traditions, and surroundings.
There is room to develop what happens after each trip, too, [through things like] follow-up events, trade dinners, or workshops in relevant markets. We want the relationships, drinks, and stories to keep developing once everyone has gone home. Welcoming consumers into selected experiences is also part of our plans for the near future. We would love to share this side of Himkok with people beyond the industry.