HX Expeditions’ fleet of five ships takes adventure-seeking passengers to some of the world’s most thrilling, remote, ice-covered locales, from Antarctica and the Arctic to Alaska and the Northwest Passage. Each voyage includes lectures and educational sessions with scientists and naturalists along with active experiences such as kayaking, hiking, wildlife spotting and visits with local communities. But it’s not all polar bear sightings and Zodiac landings. The cruise line is also known for its elevated culinary programming, including cocktails, wines and spirits as thoughtfully curated as the itineraries themselves.

Take the 1896 Cocktail, for example, created to mark HX’s 130th anniversary and pay homage to the rituals of early expedition cruising. True to the era’s ingredients, it’s crafted with a choice of rum or aquavit shaken with honey, apricot, chocolate and warming spices and served over ice in a traditional enamel mug with a piece of marzipan. The drink makes a fitting accompaniment while you watch icebergs drift past the windows of Explorer Lounge — a small, frozen echo of the glacial landscape beyond your glass.

1896 Cocktail in the 1896 cabin © Kelly Magyarics

Even more authentic, though, is sipping it from the 1896 Cabin, a limited-edition reproduction of the stateroom on DS Lofoten, the inaugural pioneering Arctic expedition that departed Hammerfest, Norway, that year, bound for Svalbard. It’s bookable for a single-night add-on during itineraries on MS Fridtjof Nansen, like the 16-day Grand Greenland: Mythical Lands of the North. The experiential accommodation includes vintage maritime artifacts, recycled plank flooring and ceiling, and a custom scent reminiscent of salt air and aged timber. There’s even a bar hidden within a barrel for late-night imbibing from your bunk bed.

You don’t have to travel back in time to enjoy a great pour, thanks to a drinks program inspired by far-flung global pursuits. The melonberry, a fruit that thrives in sub-alpine climates with a flavor combining watermelon and a fig, stars in its namesake effervescent gin-based sour, a complimentary welcome gift for HX’s most loyal cruisers. The fruit also features in the zingy martini variant, Dusk till Dawn, with proceeds from each cocktail helping fund HX Foundation’s wildlife conservation and sustainable tourism initiatives.

Antarctic Secret, a reference to the bottle of Champagne expedition cook Adolf Lindstrøm hid in his cabin to celebrate the first arrival at the South Pole in 1911, tops a combination of Williams Pear Brandy, Lagavulin 16 Scotch Whisky and elderflower with the beloved French bubbly.HX honors Lindstrøm’s legacy by naming the signature fine-dining restaurant on select ships after him. Here, Greenlandic dishes including cod with beetroot and mustard emulsion and pan-fried halibut with buttered king crab are accompanied by a rotating daily selection of wines, from bone-dry, citrus-driven Gavi from Piedmont to lush and spicy Barossa Valley Shiraz.

The line partnered with Weingut Regele, a family-run winery established in 1830 in Austria’s southern Ehrenhausen region, for an ocean-aged expression. A barrel of fortified Zweigelt traveled on a ship from pole to pole, where the shifting climates and constant motion repeatedly pushed the wine in and out of the wood grain, accelerating the aging process and boosting its deep ruby hue and notes of plum, dark berries, spice and tobacco.

Passengers can sample more wines in Weingut Regele’s portfolio as part of HX’s Tide to Table experience in Ilulissat, the aptly named Iceberg Capital of the World. After a boating excursion with the ship’s chef to line fish for cod in Disko Bay and enjoy a traditional kaffemik lunch in a local’s home, guests return on board for a sea-to-plate table with the day’s catch and other local ingredients. The minerality and creamy mouthfeel of its Weissburder pair perfectly with lightly smoked scallops in a dill emulsion, while the refreshing bubbles of its vibrant and austere Brut Nature Sekt make the perfect foil for breaded cod with honey-glazed root vegetables.

On HX, every pour tells the story of the places you explore.