Skaalvenn Distillery & Cocktail Lounge

Beyond impressed at this little gem! For The vibes, think of it as a speakeasy but run by a James Bond villain. Absolutely gorgeous! Amazing cocktails and the staff is beyond knowledgeable and love to share their excitement over their product with you. Could not have asked for a better experience. Will be back!

If you’re looking for a place where the bartender calmly explains why your cocktail contains lavender smoke, spruce tips, fermented wizardry, and possibly a philosophical crisis… welcome to Skaalven.

They’ve somehow turned cocktails into experimental theater. One drink arrived wrapped in a cloud of lavender fog like it had just descended from a mystical mountain retreat. Another tiki cocktail featured pork belly broth because apparently someone woke up one morning and said, “Rum is great… but what if bacon had feelings?”

Finding Skaalven is half the adventure. The location feels like you’ve wandered into the set of The Backrooms—minus the nightmare creature trying to chase you. Instead, you eventually stumble into a beautifully dark, dramatic lounge where the atmosphere whispers, “Trust us… this is going to be so cool.”

The luxury doesn’t stop there. Where else are you greeted with warm steamed towels? Somehow it works. Nobody questions it. You just accept that this is your life now.

Their cocktail menu changes constantly depending on what incredible ingredients they’ve managed to forage, ferment, smoke, infuse, or apparently negotiate with nature for that week. Translation: if you fall in love with a drink, don’t get too attached. It’s probably already become folklore.

The staff are ridiculously friendly and somehow know the life story of every ingredient in every glass. Special shout-out to Metal Dave, who deserves an award simply for making all of this controlled cocktail chaos feel completely normal.

There really isn’t another place around here quite like Skaalven. If you’re tired of ordering the same old Old Fashioned everywhere you go and want an experience that’s equal parts craft cocktail, science experiment, and delightful fever dream, this is your place.

And if one of their spirits steals your heart, you can buy a bottle to take home—because obviously you’ll want to confuse your friends by serving them cocktails that smell like a lavender meadow and somehow taste incredible.

Five stars. Zero regrets. Mild confusion. We’ll absolutely be back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Ever changing drink menu. The venue itself is dark and intimate, I just wish they had a better food menu!

Never had a bad time, consistent, amazing, delicious.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

What a fun place, high end crafted cocktails. Really unique offerings great atmosphere.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

As others have said, what a great cocktail lounge experience! We tried 2 cocktails each, ordered a snack, and 2 hot dogs. Loved everything. Bring an adventurous palate. Will definitely be back to see what they come up with next!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I love this place. I love how close it is to my house, especially ;). They've completely transformed this business district space into something incredible. The drinks are pricy but worth it. Truly crafted cocktails. Don't come here if you are looking for a beer. Service has always been attentive. Maybe a little slower to wait for your beverage but I think that is because they really take time to craft the perfect cocktail. Worth thr wait IMO. I highly suggest The Walken Pig and the Milk Tyson!

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5

Every time I visit Skaalvenn, I’m quickly reminded why it feels like home. The transformation from the lack-luster industrial building to their cozy space feels magical every time we go. The staff is always incredibly friendly, helpful answering any questions on the menu, and make you feel like a long time friend. The drinks are perfectly crafted, finding unique ingredients and blending them together seamlessly. I appreciate the culinary background that goes into the procurement of all the liquors, ingredients, and unique touches.

Distillery with speakeasy vibes - stop in and experience the magic

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5

Fancy 🍸

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Fun atmosphere with great people. Stef was the best!

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5

Words cannot fully express how amazing our experience at Skaalvenn was. I wanted to plan a surprise distillery tour for a friend's birthday. I am not from the area, so I had never heard of Skaalvenn, but the menu looked amazing and they had mocktails, which was important because we had a sober friend coming.

The owner, Tyson, went above and beyond for us. The tour was free, yet we were treated like royalty. You can tell he has put a lot of love into creating unique recipes. We got to sample 6 or 7 types of liquor. I'm not a straight liquor type of person, but they were all amazingly smooth and flavorful. We were especially shocked by the gin and bourbon. We aren't the biggest fans typically, but we all loved both.

After the tour, they led us to a secluded lounge area with leather couches. It was a quiet, intimate setting, perfect for our group of 7. We stayed for an hour and a half, and had the time of our lives. Our waiter was so knowledgeable. We never felt rushed when asking questions. My husband asked him about his tattoo, and it was the founder of cocktails. He gave us a brief history of the person and his accomplishments. This clearly wasn't a typical waiter- creating cocktails is his true passion.

Tyson told us about a major surgery he went through a couple years ago. He said his staff ran the place while he was gone for 3+ months. They kept up production and created new menu items. It is apparent he has a dream team. Their dedication to the craft, the business, and each other is astounding.

They had a special menu for Cambodian New Years. We tried 11 cocktails (5 from the Cambodian specials), the Cambodian egg rolls, and the snack mix. Everything was delicious. The drink with the pork belly infused vodka was our favorite from the Cambodian selections. The Mai Tai was our favorite regular menu item.

We all left on cloud 9. It was hands down the best cocktail lounge we have ever been to and the best liquor we have had. We got bottles of the aquavit, rum, vodka, and habanero vodka to take home with us.

I am sad I live 4 hours away (and will be moving abroad in 2 months), but I'm so happy to have introduced my local friends to this distillery. Our time together is limited due to our upcoming move, and Skaalvenn helped us create a memory of a lifetime.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Many places say they offer an experience, but few deliver. Skaalvenn is amongst the few. The atmosphere is top notch, and the bartenders are allowed to be their best selves. Everyone was super knowledgeable, and were artists in the cocktail craft. Their drinks are some of the best, and their in house spirits are a notch above the rest. Wish I could give more stars.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Let’s just say HIDEEN GEM 💎 cocktails are elevated & aesthetic, service is top tier, ambiance is amazing this is truly an experience

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5

Nice speak easy, cool vibe.

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5

We came here with a friend group for the first time and it was amazing. The drinks were really good and unique. It was a fun experience and we went during a special event inspired by Dutch weekend with unique drink selection from across the sea.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5