A bar has opened in New York City for the Harry Potter generation, and for the Lord of the Rings generation, and for anyone that believes in magic.
The Cauldron, a magical pop-up experience, opened its second location in downtown Manhattan after a successful launch in London - and it’s been regularly sold out with people dressed in cloaks drinking bubbling cocktails ever since.
While the bar is not Harry Potter-themed or specific to any other fantasy literature, and is not endorsed as such, it does include wand-waving and “Poetic Mead,” a honey wine from mythology - so we decided to visit The Cauldron, located on the second floor of the Bavaria Bierhaus on Stone Street.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by a host dressed in wizard robes who handed us our own black hooded robes and a handcrafted wand - which possesses technology capable of turning on lights and filling drinks.
After we were seated at our table, complete with a tiny dragon, a “fairy door” with a secret message written in ancient ruins, and a variation of vials, we were told to begin following our laminated list of instructions.
Our first task, with the occasional aid of our potions master, was to create a “Transfiguration Toniq.”
Having not realised just how alcohol-focused the one-hour-and-45-minute experience would be, we were pleasantly surprised to learn that we would be crafting our own cocktails, or rather, potions.
For the first drink, a colour-changing cocktail with gin and lavender, we simply had to pour glasses of various sizes into a smoking pitcher.
Our second drink of the night came from the bar, where we could choose from various beers and meads on tap and fill our glasses with the tap of our wands - magic that was actually quite impressive.
We chose the Hell Broth, a pumpkin beer, made especially for The Cauldron by Sixpoint Brewery in Brooklyn - which we enjoyed more than the aesthetically-pleasing yet too sweet lavender concoction.
On to our third drink of the night, we were tasked with grinding various herbs with a mortar and pestle - before employing the use of our cauldron to stir together our “Lost Time,” a rum and chai cocktail that was delicious.
In the downtime, or if you manage to boil your potions in record time, you can try to decode the ancient ruins, which translate into magical quotes (we were unsuccessful) or take in the atmosphere, complete with fire-holding bartenders, a witches' broom, and apothecary-like decor.
Once we’d finished all of the cocktails included in the $45-a-person price, we were offered a menu from which we could order more magical libations - including a flame-topped daiquiri called “Dragon’s Breath” or “Bubbling Shots of Death,” which came exactly as described.
After we confirmed it was, in fact, safe to drink a shot filled with what appeared to be dry ice and fluorescent green liquid, we ordered another round.
While experiencing the magic of The Cauldron, we were able to speak to co-founder David Duckworth, a molecular mixologist, who, along with his business partner Matthew Cortland, a technologist, brought the magic bar to life.
Of the inspiration for the bar, Duckworth explained that the background comes from “traditional magical folklore” - and that “storytelling is a huge part of what we do.”
“We were inspired by lots of bits of things and then put our own spin on things to bring magic to life,” he told us. “There are some things that people grew up with, a whole generation of magic fans and people who believe in magic, and this concept belongs to them.”
As for the entertaining “magical” aspects of the bar, of which there are just a few, Duckworth said: “Science is just magic we don’t yet understand” - before revealing that it is a mixture of butane, dish soap, and water that makes it possible for the staff to light themselves on fire.
And while the bar does offer non-alcoholic versions for patrons, who must still be over 21, we found the chance to play magical bartenders a truly enjoyable and key part of the experience.
“We’re more about the experience and bringing magic to life than getting people drunk… but we are inevitably about that as well,” Duckworth said.
The Cauldron pop-up is open until December 31, with tentative plans to open a more permanent location.
You can purchase tickets here - and don’t forget to bring a copy of your favourite children’s book, which The Cauldron will donate to a New York City classroom in need.
