LARA JO HIGHTOWER
lhightower@nwadg.com
If you’ve driven by the 900 block of North College Avenue in Fayetteville lately, you may have noticed a vibrant new kid on the block: Pink House Alchemy and its pretty-in-pink facade certainly brighten up the place. Pink House Alchemy is the brainchild of founder Emily Lawson, and she has big plans for this new retail space.
“We have the whole building — it’s a little over 10,000 square feet,” she says. “We have a good-sized front space that we wanted to activate as a retail space. We’ll do all kinds of different experiences surrounding our products, like workshops, mixology classes, Kat [Wilson’s] pop-up experiences … we really see this as a creative landing spot, and we already have plans to partner with all kinds of creative, interesting people.”
Lawson’s collection of simple syrups, bitters and shrubs are “inspired by complementary patterns in roots, barks, fruits, herbs and botanicals,” according to the company’s website. Recipes on the site suggest adding the delectable concoctions to a variety of beverages like coffee, beer or champagne, as well as using them to create desserts.
Lawson says her vision for the space includes showing local artists’ work and hosting intimate get-togethers that focus on interactivity.
“We want people to come here, not just to view art and drink cocktails, but also to learn something new,” Lawson says. “We’ll be hosting workshops where you can come in and learn how to extract your own bitters, so you can make your own signature bottle of bitters. Someone might say, ‘I’m having a birthday; there are 20 of us,’ and we’ll have a mixologist come and put on an experience for them where they learn to make a cocktail. We’re talking to Regenerous Designs — she makes these beautiful, hardwood earrings with the fabric in the middle, and she can teach that. Kat is teaching street art and teaches you to make a stencil and how to spray paint it on a wall.”
Lawson says it’s also a place for folks to bring their laptops, plug in and hang around to work for a while. Pink House specialties like cardamom iced coffee and shrub soda will be available to sip on.
“It’s meant to be a creative space,” concludes Larson. “And, I promise, there will be a decent playlist.”
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FYI
Pink House Alchemy
928 N. College Ave., Fayetteville
268-4777
Workshops and other events will be scheduled starting in October; for information on holding private events at the space, please contact Pink House Alchemy.
