Matt Luebert and brothers Charlie and Michael Eby have been working on the Witch Doctor (3314 Broadview Rd.) space in Old Brooklyn for two years since purchasing the building on Broadview Rd.
“It was time well spent,” says Charlie. “We do very much like where it is now.”
The result of those labors is a cocktail lounge like no other, which guests can begin enjoying when it opens on Sept. 2. What the owners casually describe as a “botanically-themed bar” is, in fact, a serious bar program that blends meticulously formulated ingredients into one-of-a-kind concoctions and dispenses them in a whimsical, comfortable lair.
Luebert, a member of the US Bartenders’ Guild and former bar manager at Rood in Lakewood, prepares a dizzying variety of tinctures, infusions, syrups, cordials, bitters and spirits from a wide assortment of botanicals that he purchases from local apothecaries.
“Once I started making things by hand, I started making dang near everything by hand,” he explains. “That evolved into making vermouths and compound cordials and bitters.”
Whereas another bartender might reach for a bottle of high-quality grenadine, Luebert crafts his own from fresh pomegranate. Same goes for the orgeat syrup, Herring-style cherry cordial, curacao and sweet vermouth. The Witch Doctor even has its own versions of gin, rum, tequila and vodka. Each functional cocktail is said to aid some facet of wellness, such as reducing stress, boosting immunity, aiding digestion, fighting inflammation or a combination thereof.
“We want things to taste good, cocktails that everyone can enjoy and that are drinkable,” says Luebert. “But something that will be different from what you normally find. We want things to be a little weird and different. You can get Maker’s Mark, Jim Beam and stuff like that anywhere. I want people to come here and try new things.”
“A little weird and different” is an apt description for the venue as well. Guests seated at the bar will spy an apothecary’s cupboard stocked with dried plants, herbs, roots and spices. Just past the barroom, the space opens into a cavernous cathedral-like area that feels like a Norse drinking hall. A third room is imbued with a warm and cozy glow from newly installed stained-glass windows and is appointed with graceful Rococo-style furniture.
“I’d describe it as mystical, cabin-in-the-woods with medieval tavern vibes,” says Luebert.
“Or if you stumbled out of the bayou in New Orleans,” adds Charlie.
Generously proportioned tables in the main room were constructed from beefy live-edge timber. The crew laid white oak floors throughout much of the space. Even at capacity of 75 guests the bar will feel airy and uncrowded.
The menu, a feathery deckled-edge parchment affair, ticks off cocktails called Blood Oath, Anna Felactic, Imhotep, Brimstone and Baba Yaga. Those beverages are served in elegant glassware, often of the mix-and-match vintage variety. Further down the menu is the “Medicine Cabinet,” where patrons can discover the building blocks that go into the various components.
“I want to make sure people know what goes into it because who knows what types of allergies people might have, but also to help people identify the source of some of the flavors,” Luebert explains.
And finally, there will be a comprehensive list of the botanicals used in the beverage program.
Chef John Hagerty, formerly of Green Kitchen and Never Say Dive, is in the process of opening a new spot immediately next door to the Witch Doctor. The two businesses will collaborate on a food menu that will be served in the bar, says Charlie.
“I expect it to be more of an eclectic American fare,” he notes.
The Witch Doctor will be open Wednesday through Saturday evenings.
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