Wow!!!!!! Just WOW! I was pleasantly surprised with my entire experience here and will definitely be returning!!!! A hidden gem is exactly what this place is. Mary (one of the owners) was incredibly friendly and welcoming. The minute you enter this place you’ll feel you’re in another world! Aggey was a wonderful server, both friendly and knowledgeable. She was great at explaining many of the cocktails and provided excellent recommendations! We will definitely be coming back and bringing more friends. See you all soon! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Price per person
$50–100
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Spirit Flight
Skaalven Distillery is doing some very special and unique things with their cocktails. From a lavender based cocktail smoked with a lavender fog to a tiki drink made with pork belly broth, Skaalven is shaking things up from your typical cocktail lounge.
Their location is truly bizarre but it actually adds to the dark and dramatic ensemble that awaits you once you step through the door labeled “Pillage Responsibly”.
Skaalven offers an elegant experience with steamed towels waiting for you as dog rolls over your table in the dimly light lounge.
They have an ever changing cocktail menu based on what ingredients they currently have so there is never a dull moment here.
Their staff are incredibly friendly and insightful about every ingredient that goes into their drinks. There are not many places like this in the area so I highly recommend you stop by if you’re looking to try something new and exciting.
If you end up liking one of their spirits as well, they sell bottles of their product on site that are for purchase so you can take some home with you!
We will be back soon!
Price per person
$30–50
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Sometimes places surprise you. This is one of them. First, this distillery is in an industrial park in Brooklyn Park. Second, to find it, you have to walk through multiple very boring gray carpeted hallways. There is continual signage, saying almost there... which you need because you can't believe that there's going to be a distillery in this location. Finally you reach the door. You open it up, and it is wild inside. It's dark. There are lights, there's fake smoke, a number of small tables, and various stills in the back of the large space in which the tasting room sits.
So we sit at the bar, and take a look at the menu, and again are surprised! The drinks have names like the Walken Pig and Sra Manchu....and you think, "where am I?" You have flashbacks of the fantastically crazy tasting room that was Lawless Distillery before the pandemic. And we are in Brooklyn Park??
Let me back up.. Skaalvenn Distillery was started on a shoe string by Tyson and Mary Schnitker in 2014. They currently make a vodka, a rum, a habanero rum, and a bourbon that they source. A gin is in the works.
Now to describe the cocktails. The Walken Pig comes in a pink ceramic pig. It is described as containing fat-washed vodka, five spice, smoked plum, Hmong pork belly broth, pomegranate molasses, almond orgeat, palm sugar, and a lime leaf. While it was a bit sweet for my palate, the combined flavors melded together into something delicious. I had the Sra Manchu, which came adorned with enoki mushrooms and a lot of herbs. The drink itself was described as containing pineapple and tomato infused rum, palm sugar, tamarind, and galangal. Again that unusual combo played out as a super interesting drink. We were advised to take little pieces of all the herbs and mushrooms and eat them with each sip. Pretty interesting, and of course, completely unique. We also tried the In Fashioned, which had their bourbon, spiced syrup, yuzu, and a slice of bruleed orange. Yummy, and I don't really like bourbon. I had their aquavit manhattan, which had, of course, oak-aged aquavit, dill, and a non-alcoholic vermouth, It was well balanced and quite excellent.
We tried their togarashi spiced fries. They make the spice blend there, and it was served with a kimchee mayo. These were delicious. They have a limited food menu. They do a ramen bowl, they have nuts, olives, grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup, and hummus with pita. These are not enough for dinner, but they're good to accompanying your cocktail.
This place has great cocktails, really wonderful staff, and is quite fun to boot.
Make reservations, even for the bar. It is small.
The drinks run from $16 to $20, so on the higher side for sure. However, super easy parking!
Apparently they do tiki Thursday, and I bet it's a hoot! I highly recommend this place.
Price per person
$30–50
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Sake
Beautiful atmosphere, Japanese themed bar. Drinks are amazing, and great service. Will definitely be back again soon.
Price per person
$30–50
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Hidden gem of a cocktail bar! Fantastic drinks in a vibey atmosphere. Keep in mind, you will probably want to book a reservation ahead of time, but reservation is easily done online. Come here if you are willing to spend more on a drink for excellent service, passionate staff, and great vibes!! I had the xocolatl cocktail, and an off-menu NA mocktail- both were delicious.
Price per person
$20–30
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
This place is simply a vibe! If you're looking for a unique and unforgettable experience, look no further than Skaalvenn Distillery. The attention to detail and passion that goes into every drink is truly outstanding. Their cocktails are unlike anything I've ever tasted, with a perfect balance of flavors and unexpected twists. While they don't have traditional food, their elevated bar snacks are an absolute must try.
But it's not just the food and drinks that make Skaalvenn stand out - the owners are some of the friendliest, most welcoming people you'll ever meet. And the atmosphere of the place is an experience in itself, with a vibe that's cozy and inviting. If you're looking for a night out that's truly special, Skaalvenn Distillery is the perfect choice.
Well-staffed with decent people. Weak pours. Paper straws turn to pulp within 2min, which seemed like a strange oversight. But… best olives of all time and I mean that!!!
Ok here's some more feedback since I guess you want a conversation. I am not out for blood on this platform but I do get annoyed when businesses can't get the basics right, which is becoming more and more common these days.
Another party mentioned the straw thing and a bartender acknowledged it and kinda laughed about it, saying "i know right, at least they're good for the first few sips!" So I think your staff know about this. Especially when you have glass/metal straws available and in use for non-tiki drinks, a clogged drinking apparatus that tastes like wet paper really ruins the experience. and it's not like the tiki drinks can be consumed without a straw, there is so much crushed ice in play that I kinda wondered how much liquid was actually involved. so thanks for clearing that up.
Regarding weak pours. I was in no way saying that your drinks are low-proof. Although all the best Tiki bars I've been to (most in New Orleans) would never use 1.5oz total booze in a cocktail lol. What I mean is that there is a certain perception of value lost when drinks cost upwards of $20 and are gone in 6 sips. There is just too much ice and not enough liquid going on here. I'll add a pic so people can see what I'm talking about.
Ah, Nelson. Makes sense. Sorry for your loss.
Here's my final edit. Obviously I stopped in to get drinks and support your business, we spent over $150 there. The topic of my not being hired did not come up once lol, I had told the contractor that interviewed me over the phone (who is not affiliated with Skaalvenn) I'd be stopping in regardless of my interview result. You can see from my other reviews that 5-star establishments get 5 stars. Try not to let this keep you up at night. Speaking of which, I found this other weird photo in my camera roll that I have no recollection of taking. I think my gf may have picked up a demon in the weird backrooms of your office park. Please advise on next steps.
This was our first time trying Skaalveen Distillery and we will be going back! The drinks were fantastic and you could see how much time and effort they have put in to perfecting them. The staff was attentive, friendly, and took time to explain what they were offering. They are a little bit spendy but you’re 100% getting what you pay for.
They treat their employees extremely well and it shows! More businesses should follow their lead. Excellent job! 10/10 recommend!
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Definitely check this out if you like unusual spots. The staff were helpful (though not super-attentive - maybe under-staffed?) the evening we were there. Recommended very good options for us, which we enjoyed. One of us had their version of the Moscow Mule, with hibiscus ice cubes. Only critique is that the rest of the glass was filled with a huge chunk of ice frozen to itself that couldn't be stirred easily, so it was a bit awkward to drink. But the cocktail was really delicious, ginger-forward, and refreshing. Appetizers were also the right size for a very small (but interesting!) bite. The ceviche and the vegetarian puff were nice. You can see from the other reviews that the locale is surprising. I look forward to having family come from out of town, and we can surprise them by taking them down industrial office building hallways at night into this odd little night spot.
This was a really cool place with very unique and delicious handcrafted drinks. They switch out their menu often to rotate through new seasonal drinks. My favorite drink I tried was The Walken Pig, which came in a pig-shaped tiki glass! 🐖 We also tried the In Fashioned (super good orangey foam on top of the drink with a delicious bruleed orange garnish under the foam), Mukiwa (which came with a yummy little truffle on top and was very rich in flavor), and the Secondhand Dandy Lions (pictured with the dandelion and strawberry garnish). All the drinks were super different and good! We will be back on Thursday night for tiki night! 🍹
Price per person
$30–50
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
