Skaalvenn Distillery Celebrates Cambodian New Year, Miraculous Recovery

Brooklyn Park’s Skaalvenn Distillery is known for pushing the boundaries of craft spirits. But this month, the atmosphere in the cocktail room feels especially lively.

The vibrant colors of the Cambodian flag hang high above the bar. It’s a tribute to the heritage of co-owner Mary Schnitker. For many, that flag is also a beacon of community. Bar manager Luke Young admits that it played a huge role in why he chose to work at Skaalvenn.

“I lived in Cambodia for a very long time,” Young said. “What drew me to find Skaalvenn, actually, was finding a Cambodian flag in the distillery when I was searching up places.”

Now, Young is channeling that connection into a specialty menu designed to transport patrons to Southeast Asia to celebrate the Cambodian new year.

The featured lineup includes food items such as egg rolls, papaya salad and a Khmer-inspired hot dog (the Khmer is an ethnic group native to Cambodia). The cocktail room will also serve a variety of Cambodian-inspired drinks.   

“The ability to be creative has been fantastic, and just use a lot of unique ingredients,” said Young. “We pretty much have a blank check of whatever we want to create.”

The “Kra-op” is named after the Cambodian word for fragrant. This drink emphasizes the aromatic botanical profiles of the region. The cocktail will be available April 16-18 at Skaalvenn Distillery.

A Medical Miracle

Owners Mary and Tyson Schnitker are the ones who encourage their staff to experiment.

“If you want something new and cool that you’ve never had before, this is the place for that,” said Tyson Schnitker.

While the cocktail room hums with the energy of the Cambodian New Year celebration, Tyson’s presence is what truly defines the season. At this time last year, he wasn’t worrying about recipes. Instead, he was battling lung disease.

In June 2025, he underwent a grueling, life-saving double lung transplant.

“They opened me up and removed each lung at a time, disconnecting it from the trachea and the heart and then implanting a new one,” Schnitker said in an Instagram video shortly after the procedure.

The recovery has been a steep climb. Though the surgery was a success, the road back to “normal” involves a cocktail of a different kind: a lifetime of medications and strict dietary restrictions.

The Bittersweet Return

Tyson is finally back at the distillery, though on a limited basis. For a man who built a career on crafting fine spirits, the return comes with a unique irony.

“I can be back here, but it’s always kind of bittersweet,” Tyson said. “I make alcohol, but I can’t drink it. It interferes with my meds.”

Despite the inability to enjoy a gin and tonic, Tyson’s perspective remains unshakable. In the grand scheme of things, a dietary restriction is a small price to pay for more decades with his family.

“I’d like to live another 20, 30 or more years. That’s more important to me,” he said.

Tyson is acutely aware that he is only here because of the selflessness of an organ donor. To honor that gift and mark National Donate Life Month, Skaalvenn Distillery is paying it forward.

Throughout the month of April, Skaalvenn is offering a 10 percent discount to all registered organ donors. It’s a small way to say “thank you” to those who make miracles possible, one donor card at a time.

The Cambodian flag hangs above the bar at Skaalvenn Distillery. The cocktail room is located at 8601 73rd Ave N, #14, in Brooklyn Park.

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