In bustling nightlife capitals around the world, guest shifts—where visiting bartenders pop up at a host venue to shake up signature drinks or collaborate on a limited-edition evening menu—have long been a staple of the hospitality industry. If you live in a city with a vibrant bar scene, chances are you have encountered them frequently. However, in recent years, the practice has faced a growing wave of criticism from figures within the global bar and restaurant community. Critics point out that these high-profile takeovers can often confuse regular guests, dilute the baseline quality of both teams’ drinks, and occasionally feel like transactional marketing ploys that prioritize corporate brands and social media influencers over loyal, everyday patrons.
Recognizing these mounting industry frustrations after hosting several traditional guest shifts of their own, the team behind Oslo’s renowned cocktail institution Himkok decided they needed to fundamentally rethink the concept. Their answer was the creation of “Nordic Sessions,” an innovative alternative designed to bypass the common pitfalls of the standard bar takeover. The initiative aims to forge more genuine, lasting relationships between professionals across the hospitality sector while simultaneously telling the story of their bar, the local culture, and the specialized products they utilize and love. To understand the philosophy and logistics behind this shifting trend, Mary Anne Porto spoke with Paul Aguilar, Himkok’s head of research and development.
Rethinking Cultural Immersion in the Hospitality Industry
When asked to define what Nordic Sessions actually entail, Aguilar describes them not as bar shifts, but as profound cultural immersions. The program brings together an intimate mix of international bartenders, prominent trade journalists, and key brand partners to directly experience the landscapes, traditions, and native ingredients that serve as the creative inspiration for Himkok’s beverage program.
According to Aguilar, the primary goal is to provide participants with a comprehensive, first-hand understanding of the bar’s identity while fostering genuine relationships through shared human experiences rather than a brief, rushed night behind a crowded bar counter. By placing people directly into the environments that shape their creative process, visitors gain a much deeper appreciation for the philosophy driving Himkok and its drink creations.
These immersive gatherings typically span between two to four days. Past iterations of the Nordic Sessions have taken participants far beyond the confines of a traditional hospitality workspace, incorporating quintessentially Norwegian activities such as cross-country skiing, wild mushroom foraging, rugged mountain hiking, celebrating midsummer along the country’s dramatic coastline, and retreating into traditional Norwegian cabins to disconnect and converse.
Navigating Business Realities and Marketing Restrictions
Beyond the immediate benefits of cultural exchange and relationship building, the Nordic Sessions serve a vital strategic purpose for the business, particularly given Norway’s famously stringent legal landscape surrounding alcohol. Because Norway enforces extremely restrictive regulations on alcohol marketing, the standard promotional value that a traditional bar takeover might offer is severely limited for both Himkok and its commercial partners.
Faced with these legislative hurdles, Nordic Sessions provide a creative workarounds. The multi-day excursions allow the team to capture high-end, cinematic film footage and professional photography. Brand partners can then utilize these visual assets in other international markets where such marketing is legally permitted, while Himkok can leverage the content across its own social media channels to maintain a strong global presence.
The Pitfalls of Traditional Guest Shifts
Before pioneering the Nordic Sessions format, Himkok actively participated in the traditional guest shift circuit, both as a host and as a visiting team. Aguilar notes that the team genuinely enjoyed welcoming international colleagues and returning the hospitality they had received abroad. Yet, over time, a recurring pattern of feedback began to emerge from their regular patrons.
Guests who visited Himkok specifically to experience the venue’s established identity would occasionally find something entirely unexpected—and not always to their liking. On certain occasions, regular patrons expressed disappointment with the style of cocktails being served. Aguilar emphasizes that a visiting bar’s specific style of drinks and operational methods do not always translate smoothly when dropped into a completely different venue with its own unique rhythm and physical layout.
Furthermore, hosting an external team requires a massive operational shift. It demands substantial adjustments to daily preparation routines, front-of-house service standards, and overall kitchen and bar organization. This places significant pressure on Himkok’s staff, particularly given their lean staffing model of just 12 team members operating a massive 350-capacity venue.
When factoring in the considerable investments of time, international travel, and accommodation required to execute a traditional guest shift, the Himkok team began questioning the long-term value generated once the final cocktail was poured and the evening came to an end. Aguilar points out that sharing several uninterrupted days together during a Nordic Session creates the ideal physical and mental space for deep, meaningful conversations—dialogues that are nearly impossible to facilitate during a high-stress, high-volume service shift. Ultimately, the immersive format proved to be a much better fit for how Himkok wants to host guests and collaborate with partners.
Curating Authentic Norwegian Experiences
When curating which cultural immersions to organize, Himkok approaches the process with a clear objective: participants should leave the experience with a richer understanding of local traditions and a personal connection they can draw inspiration from long after returning home.
The strategy began by focusing on elements that form the fabric of everyday Norwegian life—activities like skiing, hiking, cabin culture, foraging local flora, exploring traditional foodways, and observing the distinct ways Norwegians congregate and spend time together. Aguilar notes the irony that experiences which feel entirely ordinary and routine to someone living in Norway can often be completely transformative and novel to an international visitor seeing them for the first time.
Among the various iterations held so far, one particular session holds a special place for the team. Aguilar highlights a grueling, weather-beaten hike up to Trolltunga, a spectacular cliff situated in Ullensvang, Norway. The diverse group of participants included Gabriele Armani, a celebrated figure in the World Class bartending competition community known for his passion for hiking; Shay Waterworth, editor of Drinks International; and acclaimed bartenders Shingo Gokan and Nóra Földvári.
The journey up the mountain was exceptionally difficult, primarily due to harsh, unforgiving weather conditions. The group got thoroughly soaked, forcing everyone to rely on each other for physical and mental support to push through the elements. Fittingly, the session was sponsored by Johnnie Walker, whose famous “Keep Walking” ethos resonated deeply with the arduous trek up the mountain. According to Aguilar, some of the strongest professional bonds and lasting friendships forged throughout the entire initiative grew directly out of sharing those challenging, freezing moments on the trail.
Brand Partnerships and Collaborative Content
In structuring their brand partnerships, Himkok maintains an open door. They collaborate with a wide array of companies, spanning spirits manufacturers, nonalcoholic beverage brands, artisanal glassware producers, regional food producers, and retail entities. The baseline requirement for any partnership is that the collaborator’s products or specific expertise must contribute meaningfully to the overarching experience.
Some partnerships develop organically out of products Himkok already utilizes daily behind their own bar. When approaching potential collaborators, the team outlines why their involvement makes sense contextually and what mutual goals can be accomplished through the partnership.
To handle the production side of these collaborations, Himkok partners with the Norwegian media production agency Oioioi. Together, they produce a comprehensive main film, shorter-form edits optimized for various social media platforms, and a rich library of photography that participating brands are free to utilize in their own marketing campaigns. While specific deliverables vary depending on the nature of each partnership, formatting, usage rights, and publication schedules are mapped out collaboratively in advance. Additionally, participating guest bartenders are encouraged to share their personal perspectives of the trip and publish a simple cocktail recipe featuring the sponsors’ products.
Expanding the Vision for Future Sessions
Looking toward the horizon, Himkok has ambitious plans to expand the Nordic Sessions footprint far beyond the borders of Norway, while still maintaining a strict commitment to highlighting local culture wherever they go. Preparations are already underway for an upcoming immersive experience slated to take place in Iceland. The core strategy remains consistent: applying the exact same community-focused, immersive approach to a new geographic region, learning directly from its people, historical traditions, and surrounding landscapes.
Beyond the trips themselves, the team sees vast potential in developing what happens after each excursion concludes. This includes organizing follow-up events, exclusive trade dinners, and targeted educational workshops in relevant international markets. The ultimate goal is to ensure that the professional relationships, innovative drink ideas, and compelling stories continue to evolve long after all participants have unpacked their bags at home. Furthermore, Himkok plans to gradually open up select immersive experiences to everyday consumers, allowing them to share this unique side of the institution with enthusiasts well beyond the confines of the professional hospitality industry.
