For anyone living in a bustling urban center with a thriving nightlife and hospitality scene, the guest shift has become an inescapable fixture of the culinary and cocktail calendar. These events—where visiting bartenders pop into a host bar to sling signature drinks, debut a collaborative limited-edition menu, or showcase international mixology techniques—are ubiquitous. Yet, despite their popularity, a growing chorus of figures within the global bar and restaurant industry has begun criticizing the practice. Critics point out that guest shifts can often be confusing to everyday guests who wander into a venue expecting a familiar experience, dilute the overall quality of both teams’ drinks due to unfamiliar equipment and layout, and lean too heavily into favoring corporate alcohol brands and social media influencers at the expense of loyal neighborhood regulars.
After navigating several traditional guest shifts of their own, the team behind Oslo’s acclaimed bar Himkok realized they wanted to pioneer a radically different approach. Their solution, aptly named Nordic Sessions, was designed to directly counter the common criticisms leveled against standard bar takeovers. Instead of forcing visiting talent behind a crowded stick for a chaotic single night of service, the program aims to forge genuine, lasting relationships between professionals in the hospitality industry, while simultaneously shining a spotlight on their bar, the unique ethos of their venue, and the local products they utilize and cherish. To understand the mechanics behind this innovative model, Mary Anne Porto sat down with Paul Aguilar, Himkok’s head of research and development, to discuss how the sessions operate and why they are changing the paradigm of bar collaborations.
Can you explain what Nordic Sessions are?
Paul Aguilar explains that Nordic Sessions are deeply immersive cultural experiences designed to bring together international bartenders, trade journalists, and strategic brand partners to directly experience the landscapes, traditions, and distinct ingredients that form the backbone of Himkok’s cocktail philosophy. The core motivation was to provide people with a profound, multi-dimensional understanding of who they are as a team, building authentic human relationships through shared, immersive adventures. Aguilar notes that bringing individuals directly into these wild and distinct environments helps them grasp the underlying philosophy and thinking behind the bar and its creative drink menu. These excursions typically span two to four days, with past itineraries featuring physically demanding and culturally rich activities such as cross-country skiing, mushroom foraging in pristine forests, hiking rugged mountain terrains, celebrating midsummer along the dramatic Norwegian coast, and retreating to traditional Norwegian cabins to disconnect and bond.
Besides the cultural immersion, how do these sessions impact your business?
Operating a hospitality business in Norway comes with distinct commercial hurdles, notably because Norway maintains an extremely restrictive regulatory market regarding alcohol marketing and promotion. Because of these strict local laws, the traditional promotional value that a standard bar takeover or guest shift typically provides is severely limited for both Himkok and its commercial partners. Nordic Sessions bypass this hurdle by functioning as powerful content-generation engines. They allow the bar to produce high-end, cinematic films and striking photography that brand partners can legally and effectively deploy in other international markets where such marketing is permitted, while Himkok utilizes the visual assets across its own digital and social media channels to maintain a compelling global presence.
Have you been part of traditional guest shifts or bar takeovers? What have you liked and disliked about the format?
Aguilar acknowledges that the Himkok team has participated in and hosted numerous guest shifts over the years. They have genuinely enjoyed welcoming visiting colleagues to Oslo and returning the warmth and hospitality of those who hosted them abroad. However, this hospitality came with recurring operational friction. They regularly received feedback from regular patrons who walked into Himkok expecting the establishment’s signature experience, only to find a drastically altered atmosphere and product.
Sometimes these patrons were genuinely disappointed with the guest cocktails, a reality that Aguilar stresses must be taken seriously. A visiting bar’s signature drinks, flavor profiles, and rapid-fire working methods do not always translate smoothly into the physical infrastructure and service style of another venue. Furthermore, hosting an external team forces a complete disruption of preparation routines, front-of-house service flows, and organizational structures, placing immense pressure on Himkok’s core staff. Aguilar highlights a stark logistical reality: they operate with a tight-knit team of just 12 staff members managing a massive 350-capacity bar.
When factoring in the considerable investment of time, international travel, and accommodation expenses required to execute a traditional guest shift, the Himkok team began questioning the long-term value remaining once the single evening of service concluded. In contrast, sharing several days of uninterrupted life together during Nordic Sessions creates the mental and emotional space required for deep, meaningful conversations that are nearly impossible to have during a high-octane, busy bar service. Aguilar concludes that this immersive format is a much better operational and cultural fit for how they want to host peers and collaborate with sponsors.
How do you decide which cultural immersions to organize?
When designing these itineraries, the primary goal is to ensure that participants leave Scandinavia with a comprehensive grasp of local culture and tangible, personal memories they can draw inspiration from long after returning home. The conceptualization process began with elements that form the bedrock of everyday Norwegian life: cross-dependent outdoor activities like skiing and hiking, communal cabin culture, wild foraging, ancient food traditions, and the distinct ways Norwegians congregate and spend time together. Aguilar notes a fascinating cultural dichotomy: experiences that feel entirely ordinary and mundane to a local resident of Oslo can prove entirely novel, breathtaking, and transformative to an international visitor experiencing them for the very first time.
What has been your favourite Nordic Session so far, and why?
While every single session has introduced unique dynamics and memorable moments, Aguilar points to a grueling yet rewarding hike up Trolltunga—a spectacular, iconic cliff perched high above Lake Ringedalsvatnet in Ullensvang, Norway—as an absolute standout experience. The diverse participant roster for this specific trek included legendary figures from the global bartending community, such as Gabriele Armani, a prominent name in the World Class bartending competition network who happens to be an avid hiker. They were joined by Shay Waterworth, editor of Drinks International, alongside acclaimed international bartenders Shingo Gokan and Nóra Földvári.
The trek proved exceptionally difficult, driven largely by harsh, unforgiving weather conditions that tested the group’s physical and mental endurance. The participants found themselves thoroughly soaked, forcing the entire crew to pull together, push through adversity, and offer mutual support on the trail. Interestingly, this particular session was sponsored by Johnnie Walker. Aguilar reflects that the brand’s iconic "Keep Walking" ethos resonated profoundly with the physical reality of the trek, as the group pushed forward through challenging terrain together. It was precisely within these moments of shared hardship and triumph that some of the most enduring conversations and genuine, lifelong friendships were forged.
How do your brand partnerships work? Are there posting requirements?
Himkok’s collaborative network spans a diverse array of categories, including traditional spirits producers, nonalcoholic beverage innovators, specialized glassware manufacturers, local food producers, and retail brands. The bar maintains an open-door policy toward collaborating with any entity whose products, philosophy, or specialized expertise can contribute meaningfully to the overarching narrative of the experience. Potential partners are approached with a clear articulation of why their involvement makes natural sense and what mutual value can be unlocked through the collaboration. In many cases, these partnerships evolve organically from products that Himkok already utilizes behind its bar on a daily basis.
To capture these experiences, Himkok partners with specialized production agencies like Oioioi to generate a flagship documentary film, concise social media edits, and professional photography packages that participating brands are free to utilize in their marketing pipelines. Editorial scope, formatting guidelines, usage rights, and publication schedules are meticulously negotiated with sponsors ahead of time, ensuring deliverables reflect the specific partnership tier. Additionally, participating bartenders are encouraged to share their personal journey and publish a simple, representative drink recipe highlighting the sponsor’s brand.
What are your plans for future sessions?
Looking ahead, the team is actively charting plans to expand Nordic Sessions beyond the borders of Norway while maintaining an unwavering commitment to authentic local culture. Preparations are already underway for an upcoming immersive experience slated for Iceland this coming November. The strategic vision is to apply the exact same philosophy in a new geographical context—absorbing knowledge from local people, ancient traditions, and dramatic surrounding landscapes.
Furthermore, Aguilar sees ample room to scale what happens after each physical trip concludes, envisioning follow-up industry events, exclusive trade dinners, and targeted masterclass workshops across key global markets. The ultimate goal is to ensure that the relationships forged, drinks developed, and stories told continue to grow and evolve long after everyone has unpacked their bags at home. In the near future, Himkok also hopes to begin opening up select immersive experiences to everyday consumers, allowing them to share this unique, behind-the-scenes facet of the bar with enthusiasts well beyond the confines of the hospitality trade.
