Skål! Scandinavian Spirits exhibition opens at the Nordic Heritage Museum, Fri. Dec. 11

A new national traveling exhibition, Skål! Scandinavian Spirits, opens Friday, December 11 at the Nordic Heritage Museum (3014 NW 67th St).

The exhibit was created by the Museum of Danish America in Elk Horn, Iowa in collaboration with the NHM, as well as four other Scandinavian-American institutions.

From the NHM, about the exhibit:

“Skål! Scandinavian Spirits, presented by Aalborg and Linie aquavits, shares the history and traditions of the drinking culture in the Nordic countries dating from Viking times to traditions carried into the U.S. by immigrants, continuing to the present day. The exhibition focuses on beer and aquavit – the traditional liquor of Scandinavia that means “the water of life.” “

The exhibit runs from December 11 – February 28, 2016.

Museum hours: Tues-Sat 10am-4pm, Sun: Noon-4 pm, Mon: closed

Cost: Adults: $8, Seniors & College students: $7, Children over 5 years: $6, Children under 5 years: Free, Members: Free. The first Thursday of each month: free admission all day and open until 8:00 p.m.

For more information about the exhibit, click here.

Events related to the exhibition:

There will be a Member Preview: Aquavit Tasting and Talk, Thursday, December 10, from 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm at the Nordic Heritage Museum. This event is for members only.

“Members will enjoy this informative talk by Norwegian Christer Olsen, Business Area Manager USA and International Markets for Arcus, the parent company representing Linie, the Norwegian aquavit, and Aalborg, a Danish aquavit. This event coincides with the first Aquavit Week in the Seattle area.”

There will also be a Gallery Talk at 2:00pm, Saturday, December 12 by a museum curator, Tova Brant.

From the event page:

“She is currently the Albert Ravenholt Curator of Danish-American Culture at the Museum of Danish America in Elk Horn, Iowa, who organized the exhibit. Denmark, Norway and Sweden share a “spirited” tradition of enjoying beer and aquavit—sometimes together, sometimes separately. This exhibit explores the cultural history of these beverages and follows those drinking traditions to Scandinavian-American communities.”

Photos courtesy of the Nordic Heritage Museum.