Scott Ervin has come a long way—and quickly—since launching
Minneapolis’ first micro-distillery, Norseman, in a warehouse basement. At the end of 2013, Ervin was quietly milling and mashing his grains, pitching the yeast, and guiding the alcohol through fermentation and distillation accompanied by two “boozehounds” (his dogs).
Today, his days are still spent distilling vodka, gin, rye whiskey and rum. But in the evenings, he leaves the production area to hobnob with guests enjoying the fruits of his labors in
Norseman’s new cocktail room. Located on Taft off East Hennepin in Minneapolis, in a 2,800-square-foot space formerly used as a storage facility for the industrial company next door, the Norseman facility and cocktail room is a warm, welcoming swank/industrial addition to MSP’s growing micro-brewing/distilling scene.
Ervin is a trained architect who used to work at Alchemy Architects in St. Paul. Keith Mrotek, who is Norseman’s beverage director and runs the cocktail room, studied architectural drafting. So they designed and outfitted the cocktail room, which has white-brick walls and garage doors, a rusted-steel wall, a concrete floor and a fireplace in front of large, leather couches.
“As a brand Norseman is Scandinavian, obviously,” Mrotek says, about the cocktail room’s aesthetic. “We’re also very much embracing the fact that we’re in an industrial part of town in a former warehouse.” So the design approach “is a collaboration between Scandinavian simplicity and the Industrial Era.” Blond-wood tables with white chairs are situated throughout the space. There are also two counter-height tables constructed from factory workbenches.
The cocktail room only serves the spirits Norseman distills, including the flavorings that Mrotek, formerly of Marvel Bar, is in charge of creating. Those include fernet, triple sec and “fortified wines,” which are like dry, sweet vermouth. Mrotek has also created a “leathered” aquavit used in several classic cocktails. Need olives in your martini? Can’t get them at Norseman. But you may experience the smoothest martini ever to grace your tastebuds.
“The cocktail room is about fortifying the brand, while converting people to cocktails in a way that’s warm and inviting, pleasant and approachable,” Mrotek says. And the cocktails change quarterly “to keep the brand fresh and exciting … and pressure me to make new products.”