Big Spring Spirits opens new location in Sewickley
Big Spring Spirits, an award-winning distillery based in Bellefonte, recently opened a new bar and restaurant in Sewickley.
Doors opened at the estimated 1,000-square-foot facility at 418 Beaver St. in November shortly before Thanksgiving.
Located at a former bank, project manager Josh Wyka said his seven-member crew have served a steady flow of customers, including a very packed evening during the borough’s Light Up Night in early December.
“They’ve been good,” Wyka said about the opening weeks. “We didn’t do a ton of advertising to start, just knowing that word of mouth spreads quickly in Sewickley, but also knowing that we’re opening up the day before the busiest drinking night of the year.
“I didn’t want to blast it and have my brand new staff just get overwhelmed. We have a really large cocktail menu with 50-60 cocktails on there. I just wanted to make sure I could clip the quality of product out first before really going for it. We kind of been easing up into it, adding a little bit more cocktails and more of our menu available as we go along. We’re full-steam now.”
Wyka, 38, of Wexford, was the lead bartender of the home distillery for about three years. He has been in the hospitality industry since age 16.
“Since covid, the hospitality landscape has changed completely,” he said. “Whether it’s the price of food, finding staff, the price of staff — there’s a lot more challenges than there were before. It was always a difficult business, especially now. When you’re taking on something like this, it’s kind of daunting.
“Fortunately, the location that we have here is especially attractive. You can’t get much better than the heart of Sewickley with what we’re trying to do.”
Big Spring Spirits officials have been working on the Sewickley spot since March and signed a lease in June with Mike Cherock, building owner and owner/president of AE Works.
Boasting a variety of cocktails and some spiked coffees, specialties include a spiced old-fashioned ($15) with American Whiskey, spiced apple syrup, vanilla, angostura and creole bitters; Thyme for a Beetin’ ($13) with pickled beet-infused gin, orange, lemon and thyme; and Jungle Bird ($11) with white rum, pineapple, passion fruit, aperitif syrup, lime, mint and tiki bitters.
The Sewickley spot has seating for 37. The bar is to the left of the entrance. There are a few steps toward the back that lead up to a couple cozy seating areas.
Photos framed on the walls were taken by renown artist/photographer Erik Thompson of Brooklyn, NY.
Food is brought in from various businesses, including desserts from Sugar x Butter in Pittsburgh’s East End. Many of the jams, preserves, shrubs and syrups come from Tait Farm Foods in Centre Hall.
“We’re not a typical bar,” Wyka said. “We’re a big supporter of local people. All the products that we use, we pretty much get from other small businesses in the area. That’s the way we’re trying to go about things. We have a good product that we stand by.
“We can only sell products with alcohol in them that are made in Pennsylvania. We’ve had to create flavors. We do a lot of infusions, but we use real fruit, real herbs. There aren’t any artificial flavorings that we use. It’s really helped us create unique cocktails that are better than most places are able to offer.”
Bill Stolze, partner at the distillery and head of business development for Big Spring Spirits, said they plan to be involved in various community events in the borough and thanked all who stopped by for their support.
“The community seems pretty happy to have us open,” Stolze said. “We had a great Light Up Night. It was fantastic. Great engagement there. The residents here are always looking for walkable options and a little bit of alternatives available to them to enjoy other than the standard fare. Having a tasting room here as opposed to a strict restaurant seems to be a welcomed concept.”
Michael DiVittorio is a TribLive reporter covering general news in Western Pennsylvania, with a penchant for festivals and food. He can be reached at mdivittorio@triblive.com.
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