Himkok Aquavit Blank

Himkok is nothing less than the world’s most sustainable bar. Located in the heart of Oslo, it's also the capital's only bar-distillery, producing all their spirits in-house with a zero-waste philosophy. They produce more than 80% of the spirit they serve at the bar and specialise in cocktails that are inspired by Norwegian ingredients and culture.

We have collaborated with the Himkok team to develop their products with a customised bottle that reflects their empirical and creative counter-culture. Rated on the top 50 list of best bars worldwide for the 3rd year, their spirits are in high demand all around the world. The goal was to make the bottle feel like an extension of the bar itself, promote the collaborative spirit of Himkok and allows for line-extensions.

Himkok is Norwegian for 'moonshine' and is a generic term for small scale distilled alcoholic beverages made from indigenous ingredients reflecting the customs, tastes and raw materials available in each region.

“Something local” is also a Norwegian term for moonshine signifying another aspect of Himkok while speaking directly to the fact that the products are distilled with local botanicals. This phrase represents a canvas for the inspiration behind each product, which can be literal to the content, but also explore different aspect of Norwegian culture.

Himkok is located in Storgata 27, Oslo. In the late 1800s the building was an industrial warehouse for pharmacy appliances. The link to the pharmacy (also a big part of the cocktail history itself) is apparent in both the white lab coats worn by the bartenders and in their logo. The references to late 19th century apothecary bottles is coherent with the bar and its identity, paying homage to the building and its nature where old traditions are mixed with new technology making past and present coexist.

Particular attention was put in the choice of materials, weight and production techniques to create a product in line with Himkok’s sustainability goals. The cork is in eco polymer and untreated beech wood engraved on the sides, sealed with a paper label with 3 different recipes. Spray coating and silkscreen are made with organic ink, allowing the bottle to be recycled as is.

Combined with a different bottle colour and the timeless aesthetic of apothecary bottles, the illustration provides a constantly evolving storytelling portraying different moods and categories and elevates Himkok to its authoritative position as a bar and distillery forging its own path. The Himkok logo is embossed on the shoulder, together with the address at the bottom. An additional area is embossed for the silkscreened label. The simplicity of the label signals a staple product.

The bottle is tall and slim, carrying a sense of pride and elegance. The proportions makes the bottle perfect for mixing, and it only weighs a little over 650 grams (spirit bottles often weight from 750g to 950g). Because of legal limitations we couldn't claim the weight of the glass bottle alone, so instead we embossed the full bottle weight. This is an aspect overlooked by the industry that tend to use heavier bottles to communicate quality.

The first product is a Blank Aquavit. The snake play an important role in both the identity of Himkok and the profile of the product. The “moonshine bite” take the shape of the Huggorm (Vipera Berus) – the only Norwegian venomous snake. Additionally the snake has a rich symbology and mythology that connects medicine, alchemy, eternity, wisdom and purity.