Briana Bononcini Volk
Northern Daughter
Recent Press
For press requests email brianarocks@gmail.com
Wine Enthusiast
After they lived for years in Portland, Oregon, the Volks moved back to Andrew’s native New England to be closer to his family and establish roots. In 2013, the duo opened Portland Hunt + Alpine Club in the other Portland.
With Andrew overseeing day-to-day operations and Briana focusing on public relations, events, creative direction and marketing, the establishment has earned two James Beard Award nominations for Outstanding Cocktail Program.
New York Times
“Andrew Volk, a 2005 Colby graduate, said he was optimistic about Waterville’s prospects. He and his wife, Briana, who own the Hunt + Alpine Club, a popular cocktail bar in Portland, will open a restaurant called Verna’s All Day on the ground floor of Colby’s downtown residential hall by the end of the year.
The Volks were courted by Colby’s vice president of planning, but it wasn’t a hard sell.
“We’d always kind of talked about what the next step is, and I liked that Colby would be our landlord,” Mr. Volk said.
The concept for Verna’s is fairly simple — a casual American chophouse with classic cocktails. Mr. Volk said he and his wife were mindful “that we’re creating a restaurant for Waterville, not for Portland.” ”
Delish
“Briana Volk, owner of the Portland Hunt + Alpine Club in Maine and author of Northern Hospitality, doubles down: “I have continually watched men be applauded for choosing sobriety or mindful consumption and rally alongside their male peers, while women still feel like they need to be quiet about it in order to keep their jobs," she notes. "For women, there is still a stigma behind it and that has made it harder to speak openly or find the support they may need.” ”
Morning Sentinel
“Verna’s All Day, a casual, classic American chop house, will offer steak and other entrees, as well as locally sourced food and classic cocktails in the restaurant part of the business. A range of prepared foods, convenience items, wine, local beer and other items will be featured in the small market and cafe-deli, where patrons will be encouraged to eat, socialize and study. ”
Forbes
“Old Fashioneds — Briana Volk of Portland Hunt + Alpine Club, author of Northern Hospitality
Old Fashioneds. I have always enjoyed this spirit-forward drink — it was also the first drink my now-husband Andrew made me when first I met him while he was Bartending at Clyde Common. But in 2020 I’m going to be changing up the base spirit, from the classic Bourbon to Rum and Tequila. This is the cocktail that will get me through all the seasons, and a big election year. ”
Thrillist
“And to know its owners, Andrew and Briana Volk, is to love them. Andrew, who cut his teeth alongside famous bar person Jeffrey Morgenthaler at Clyde Common in the other Portland, has incredible cocktail creation skills. And Briana, who is also an accomplished, talented writer, is the beating heart of the joint, someone who makes it a priority to champion mental health and other important seldom discussed industry issues. All of this would be great but somewhat insignificant to this list if the bar they owned wasn’t excellent. But thankfully it very much is.”
Bangor Daily News
“As small business owners, we know that the key to success for our business is our community. When they thrive, we thrive. When they struggle, we struggle. When working Mainers have money in their pockets, it’s money that they can spend on groceries, gas, medicine, car repairs and even the occasional cocktail.”
Bloomberg
“Some people look down on the drink, but putting on our bar-owner hats, it’s actually well-balanced,” says Brianna Volk, co-owner of Little Giant in Portland, Maine, which has a Kalimoxto on its menu made with Moxie, a gentian-flavored soda. “The tannins in the wine balance out the too-sweet Coca-Cola. It just makes a refreshing and incredibly accessible cocktail.”
Plus, she continues, “It’s just a fun, but kind of weird drink. It makes us want to eat lots of seafood or grill steaks for a picnic. We know when we start making them, we are going to have a great night.”
Wine Enthusiast
“This blend of Moscato and Arneis is bright, crushable and really fun—a great summer wine,” says Briana. “Lobster rolls are great picnic food, and this is a great picnic wine with enough acidity to stand up to the mayo and rich lobster meat.”
Boston Globe
If you’re looking for a well-made drink, here’s a good place to start. Transplants from the other Portland, proprietors Andrew and Briana Volk were instrumental in bringing the craft-cocktail movement to town. Portland Hunt + Alpine Club remakes the appletini with vodka, rum, and apple cordial; it’s now something you’d actually like to drink. You’ll find classics well rendered (like the House Old Fashioned), and inventions that feel like classics (the Last Word-ish Green Eyes, made with gin, lime, chartreuse, and egg white). And when you get peckish, the menu features Scandinavian specialties like gravlax, meatballs in nutmeg cream sauce, and a smorgasbord of meat, cheese, and fish. (Briana Volk is of Finnish descent.)
Insider
"The bread service at Sanaa in Animal Kingdom Lodge's Kidani Village is a must-do for anyone looking for a memorable Disney food experience," said It comes with five different types of naan and nine different accompaniments, making it the perfect starter for a group or dinner by itself," said Briana Volk, who owns Portland Hunt + Alpine Club, Little Giant, and Giant in Portland, Maine and wrote Northern Hospitality, and travels to Disney World several times per year.
The Takeout
Volk tells The Takeout popcorn has been on the menu since day one and won’t likely ever be taken off. Their version uses butter, parmesan cheese, plus green chile powder they get shipped from New Mexico. One of the keys is nailing down the ratio of butter to popcorn: They make theirs with 1/4 cup of kernels, which yields roughly eight cups of popped corn, or enough for four people. For that quantity, they’ll use six tablespoons of butter or 3/4 of a stick.
Star Chefs
The Volks also teach their staff bystander intervention, provide an outside contact to file complaints, and train other local restaurateurs through Heart of Hospitality, a program they started with a $25,000 grant from the state of Maine.
Briana added: “The more it’s talked about, the more it normalizes the conversation and makes people comfortable. It’s a discussion everyone should be having.”
Punch Magazine
Similarly, Briana and Andrew Volk are looking to overhaul the little grocery that’s attached to their restaurant, Little Giant, in the other Portland (Maine). They’ve launched a series of monthly wine nights, called Hush Hush, a beta version of the wine bar they’re hoping to realize later this year. Each night has a theme: funky wines and caviar and yes, you guessed it, tinned fish; magnums and pasta; West Coast white wines and Chinese food.
“We’re doing them to see if this sort of concept has some legs to become more permanent,” says Briana. But it’s also about taking the opportunity to share what they love in a relatively low-risk fashion and quite simply, she says, “Andrew and I just think it’s fun.”
Forbes
It's time to break out the brandy and martini glasses. I asked a group of top mixologists and spirits writers what they're looking forward to drinking more of in 2019…
Cognac — Briana Volk of Portland Hunt + Alpine Club and Little Giant, author of Northern Hospitality
In 2019, I would like to drink more Cognac, both alone and in cocktails. I find myself drinking cocktails with fewer ingredients, so the base spirit can really shine. I want Cognac to shine this year, especially during meals cooked at home.
The Kitchn
This brunch menu comes to us from Briana and Andrew Volk's new cookbook, Northern Hospitality with The Portland Hunt + Alpine Club: A Celebration of Cocktails, Cooking, and Coming Together. The husband-and-wife duo own two wildly popular spots in Portland, Maine (Portland Hunt + Alpine Club and Little Giant), and the pages of Northern Hospitality are filled with the same innovative cocktails and irresistible small bites you'll find in their restaurants.
Forbes
“People can tell when they go to a party and the hosts aren’t having any fun because they’re in way over their heads,” says Briana Volk, who, along with her husband Andrew, has helped transform Portland, Maine into a culinary destination. The couple first met in the “other” Portland (the one in Oregon), and then moved back east to open Portland Hunt + Alpine Club in 2013 and the restaurant Little Giant in 2017. They’ve just released their first book, Northern Hospitality, a tribute to their home in Maine as well as Briana’s Scandinavian heritage. Here are their tips for making your New Year’s Eve cocktail party, or any other cocktail party, a success.
Hither and Thither
The Volks are sharing a secret with their readers: a taste of Northern comfort that can only be found in a place like Maine. With cocktails like “In the Pines” (gin, Cynar, and stone pine liqueur) and the “Norseman” (a Scandinavian take on the old-fashioned, with aquavit) and recipes for dishes like Smoked Trout with Deviled Eggs and Swedish Meatballs with Spaetzle and Nutmeg Cream, this cookbook sets itself apart with its unique Nordic approach and a full-on embrace of winter/fall nights with accents of spring/summer. This isn’t just a great gift for Maine lovers, but anyone who likes to be the first to take on new cocktails and who can spot (and appreciate) a new trend before anyone else.
The Daily Beast
“I can pick out at least four potential classics, each from a different bar: the Aviary Cocktail Book from the bars of that name in Chicago and now New York; Cocktail Codex and Mixology & Mayhem from Death & Co. and the Dead Rabbit, respectively, both also in New York; and Northern Hospitality, from the Portland Hunt + Alpine Club in Portland, Maine.”
Architectural Digest
With a husband-and-wife duo at the helm who just published their debut cookbook, Portland Hunt + Alpine Club blends in Scandinavian-design accents, from the modern wire animal heads and Nelson lights to communal tables.
Bloomberg
“It’s the greatest espresso martini in the world,” says mixologist Jackson Cannon of Boston’s excellent bar, the Hawthorne. “By being true to their approach to sourcing and DIY, they landed on a drink that—while faithful to its origins—is richer and more expressive than the original.”
In their recent cookbook/cocktail guide, Northern Hospitality with the Portland Hunt + Alpine Club (Voyageur Press, August 2018), Andrew and his wife Briana Volk shared their recipe.
AIROWS
Obviously, if you haven't already booked a trip to Maine's mecca for fine food and drink there is no time to waste. And to help you with your itinerary we asked Briana Volk, co-owner of Little Giant and the Portland Hunt + Alpine Club (see below) as well as the author of the cool new book Northern Hospitality, for some highlights:
Huffington Post
“Less choice isn’t about serving less, especially in coffee shops, than it is about creating a streamlined experience showcasing what you’re best at,” said Briana Volk, owner and creative director of the restaurants Little Giant and Portland Hunt + Alpine Club in Portland, Maine."
Food & Wine
Because if anyone knows how to make cold weather living look good, it’s the husband-and-wife team behind Portland, Maine hotspots Portland Hunt + Alpine Club and newer sister restaurant Little Giant. Through their inspiring book, the Volks share secrets to getting hygge-with-it (sorry) Northern-style, blending inspiration from their Maine lifestyle and Briana’s Scandinavian heritage.
Press Herald
“Northern Hospitality” is like an invitation to a party that fights the raging blizzard outside with hot buttered rum, oven pancakes drizzled in warm maple syrup, and Swedish meatballs served over homemade spaetzle.
Bon Appétit
Swing by Little Giant, the sophomore effort from the team behind local favorite Portland Hunt + Alpine Club, which gets clever with dishes like lobster chips with serrano ranch and Moxie-braised pork belly. The sister market next door sells local beers and groceries and daily specials (don’t miss Friday and Saturday’s roast chicken and biscuits).
NBC News
"Finns, like most Scandinavian cultures, are very good at being by themselves," says Briana Volk, the half-Finnish co-owner of thePortland Hunt + Alpine Club, a Scandinavian-influenced cocktail bar in Maine, and the co-author of the forthcoming book, "Northern Hospitality with The Portland Hunt + Alpine Club: A Celebration of Cocktails, Cooking, and Coming Together." Volk, fluent in Finnish, was raised in Astoria, Oregon where she was part of strong Finnish community.
Imbibe Magazine
On the menu since day one, this cocktail from Portland Hunt + Alpine Club is an easy-to-make aperitif that pleases even the pickiest drinkers. “This drink is great because it’s low in alcohol; it is a great spacer when you feel like you don’t want something strong, and it’s wonderful to sip when you’re just not in the mood for stronger spirits,” Briana and Andrew Volk explain in their new book, Northern Hospitality With The Portland Hunt + Alpine Club.
The Daily Astorian
Inspired by her NBC interview, KABC radio in Los Angeles came calling. Doug McIntyre of the “McIntyre in the Morning” show interviewed Briana Tuesday to talk about her book — and to elaborate more on the meaning of päntsdrunk. If this keeps up, she’ll sell lots of books and inadvertently become an authority on the topic.
Boston Magazine
Of course, the book will be a cocktail guide, and will also feature New England and Scandinavian-inspired food. The Volks will also ruminate on life in cold climates—imagine pieces about how to build a campfire, and how to get your kids to eat oysters, Briana says.
“We will also be diving into things like Aquavit,” a distinctive Scandinavian spirit, “the lure of Allen’s Coffee Brandy, and building a killer smorgasbord,” she says.
Domino Magazine
Briana’s Finnish roots are evident throughout the home with its inspired approach to Scandinavian design. “We wanted it to be Scandinavia meets Palm Springs,” she says. “Winters are so long and brutal, and I am a warm weather person. Even during the winter, I wanted to create the simplicity and warmth and energy you can find in a midcentury home.”
Press Herald
Although the couple owns both a nationally known upscale cocktail bar and a highly regarded restaurant, dinner at the ballpark with the Volk family looks like dinner at the ballpark with just about any other fan: two franks with mustard and relish, a slice of pepperoni pizza (for their daughter, Oona), a jumbo pretzel with yellow mustard, a souvenir batting helmet stuffed with fries that are smothered in Creamsicle-colored nacho cheese, and a single Sea Dog Biscuit to be shared among the family of four. The cheese-topped fries are by special request of Briana, who calls them, affectionately, Sea Dog poutine.