Denise Greenway wants you to stay for a spell at Lawrenceville Distilling. As the co-owner of Black Cauldron Collective, a company that creates beverage tinctures and syrups (as well as lotions, balms, teas, candles and incense), she is bringing her alchemy to the local booze maker.
The partnership was hatched late last year when Lawrenceville Distilling co-owners Joe and Jeremy DeGroot bought some of Greenway’s homemade bitters to use in drinks at the Harrison Street facility, just a block off of Butler Street.
They were bewitched by her concoctions, which, like their award-winning vodka, gin, bourbon and absinthe, are made in small batches using natural ingredients.
Now Greenway runs the company’s cocktail program, creating specialty beverages and even a line of bottled spirits that not only intoxicate but inspire.
The first offering, Campo Di Fiore Amaro, is a bitter, citrus-forward spirit inspired by Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood. Made with 14 herbs, five fruits and beets, it honors the methods and traditions of Italian medicine women, who were often labeled as witches.
You can try the elixir – it’s great in a Negroni! – from 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Once a month, the distillery hosts the Sunday Magic Market, a metaphysical fair that promotes small, female-owned businesses while building a community of support for women’s wellness.
The next event is on April 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will feature yoga during the first hour, tarot, psychic readers, food, coffee and, of course, cocktails. Different boozy potions are highlighted at each market based on the seasons and astrological signs.
“We are hoping it will grow to twice a month and then once a week,” says Greenway, who runs the South Side-based Black Cauldron Collective with her partner Billy Cahill. “It’s cool to see the community growing. That’s the goal. We want to create a place to go where like-minded people can come and get resources and take a mental health break in a safe space.”
Greenway, a veteran bartender, turned to herbalism to deal with chronic medical issues and boost her immune system during pregnancy. She offers many natural remedies, including a monthly Moon Magic Box filled with ritual items, a bottle of Lawrenceville Distilling booze, a tea blend and a tincture.
If you’re unsure about all the hocus-pocus, the Sunday Magic Market is a great place to get more information.
If alcohol isn’t your thing, perhaps you can reach enlightenment through food.
Chef George Adelo – who ran El Guapo, a New Mexico-style concept at Federal Galley on the North Side – will return to Lawrenceville Distilling on a regular basis this spring after hosting a string of Super Secret Burrito Club pop-ups events there.
From the kitchen space at the front of the building, he’ll be selling burritos, tacos, nachos and Frito pies under a new name to be revealed soon.
“Denise is the reason I am there,” he says. “She was a lovely customer who became a friend and suggested me to Joe and Jeremy, so she really put it all together.”
Now that’s magic.