How to Step Aboard a Viking Ship and Drink Scotch Whisky This Summer

By Jahla Seppanen Published August 27, 2018

Highland Park — Highland Park / Highland Park

Want to be a Viking? Great.

Recommended Videos

Highland Park single-malt Scotch whisky from Orkney, Scotland, is helping us channel our inner Norse seafarer by partnering with the Draken, a genuine recreation of a Norwegian Viking ship that is sailing from Maine to South Carolina on a four-month, whisky-fueled cruise.

Take that, Carnival. *Viking wail*

Bring your horned helmet (although there’s no evidence Vikings actually wore them) and join the Draken Harald Hårfagre Expedition America East Coast Tour 2018, which set sail on July 9.

The Draken

The Draken

The Draken

“The Draken ship and its journey exemplify the spirit of the modernday Viking and everything that Highland Park stands for: determination, adventure, quality craftsmanship, and rich history,” says Martin Markvardsen, Highland Park senior global brand ambassador.

Fun fact: Highland Park’s founder, Magnus Eunson (not enough dudes are named Magnus anymore), was a direct descendant of the Vikings who settled on Orkney over 1,000 years ago.

The founders of the Draken began the creation of what would become “the largest modern-built Viking ship in the world” in 2010, relying on their expert knowledge of Viking history, Norse sagas, and traditional boat-building. Come 2012, construction was completed; the ship came measured 115 feet long with a 26-foot beam, 79-foot mast, and 160 square meters of silk sails. In 2016, the Draken off for its inaugural trans-Atlantic crossing from Norway to the U.S., the same journey taken by OG Vikings discovering the New World over 1,000 years ago.

The Draken’s 2018 Highland Park tour will see the massive Viking ship visit 14 East Coast harbors over the span of four months. Each port will hold an arrival ceremony where attendees can board the Draken and explore the deck, talking with the captain and crew as they share their experiences on this revived legendary sea vessel. Take a load off for the screening of the new Draken documentary and meander the “Viking Village” (there’s food and, most importantly, Highland Park whisky).

Now. if only I could find my old buffalo horn cup …

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Born and raised off-the-grid in New Mexico, Jahla Seppanen is currently a sports, fitness, spirits, and culture writer in…

Food & Drink

A beginner’s guide to sherry wine, an incredibly misunderstood drink

Sherry deserves another chance. Here's a breakdown of the classic fortified wine

Sherry fortified wine in a glass

Sherry, for those in the know, is absolutely wonderful. More often than not, though, it still draws a wince from the casual restaurant or bar-goer (another fortified wine, port, knows how it feels). The stereotypes -- cheap, used only for cooking, only consumed by old people -- are pervasive, much to sherry's discredit. It's time to change all that.
The last several years have seen beer become more like wine and wine become more oxidative (e.g., natural wine styles, Jura Chardonnay, skin-fermented or orange wines, etc.). Sherry has held a certain esteem throughout, wearing its nutty, briny, dried fruit flavors on its shimmering gold sleeves and for good reason -- the sherry designation contains some of the driest as well as the sweetest wines on the planet. No matter what sort of wine you are looking for, chances are you can find something similar to it within the category.
In terms of its presence on the restaurant scene, sherry appears to be enjoying a kind of hipster revival -- as evidenced by a few "Is sherry enjoying a revival?" stories making the rounds. This, however, might be the exception that probably proves the rule: Sherry consumption has tanked over the last 50-odd years. It became decidedly uncool during the 1980s and increasingly associated with the ascot-wearing type of older gentleman. I'm here to tell you that, in fact, sherry is absolutely wonderful and comes in a variety of expressions.

What is sherry?

Food & Drink

Compass Box is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a release of a smoky whisky

Compass Box is celebrating its birthday with the rerelease of a popular peated whisky

Compass Box

Fans of blended Scotch know all about the appeal of Compass Box. The brand is well-known for its flagship expressions and limited-edition whiskies. The only problem with the limited edition expressions is that they are often a one-off and are generally never made again or are only released in limited quantities every so often. That said, recently, the brand announced a remastered version of one of its most popular blends.
Compass Box Flaming Heart: 25th Anniversary Edition

To celebrate its twenty-fifth birthday, Compass Box is releasing Flaming Heart: 25th Anniversary Edition. This limited-edition release is a remastering of one of the brand’s most popular expressions. This 48.9% ABV release is a blend of specially selected peated whiskies and whiskies matured in custom French oak barrels.

Food & Drink

The newest release of New Riff’s award-winning Single Malt whiskey is hitting shelves

New Riff is dropping its 2025 American Single Malt Whiskey this week

New Riff

New Riff Distilling is known for its award-winning bourbon and rye whiskeys, but if you haven't tried any of its American single malt whiskey, you're missing out. Luckily, the famed brand recently announced the launch of a new batch of this popular whiskey.
New Riff American Single Malt Whiskey

Made with some of the distillery's oldest barrels, the newest iteration of its American Single Malt Whiskey features whiskeys matured between 7 and 10 years. Made with malted barley using Kentucky's sour mash traditions, it featured Maris Otter, Scottish peated barley, and a "beer-inspired mash bill base on classic barleywine." It's finished in new charred oak, de-charred toasted oak, de-charred and re-charred oak, Madeira casks, Oloroso Sherry, and red wine casks.