Good news for all of you East Coast readers out there. One of our favorite grooming brands, Juniper Ridge, brought the refreshing scents of the West Coast wilderness to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and it’s not something you want to miss.
We stopped by last week to check out the pop up, housed in Barber & Supply – the concept shop by and next door to Fellow Barber, a fantastic place for a cut or shave – and it only took a few minutes to be transported to wilderness destinations like Big Sur, Death Valley and Oregon’s Mt. Hood. In case you didn’t know, Juniper Ridge distills fragrances for cologne, soap and the rest of their namesake line in a converted whiskey still using only plants, tree trimmings, moss and mushrooms foraged in the backcountry. Every time you spritz their Cabin Spray or step into the shower with a Trail Crew Soap, it’s unbelievable how quickly the fragrances carry you to the great outdoors. At their Brooklyn pop up, a photobooth-sized Transporter, inspired by Dr. Who, will take you from the city to nature in no time. Inside, there are photos of the places Juniper Ridge travels to for botanicals, and visitors are able to try each fragrance to find their favorite.
During our visit, we walked the streets of Williamsburg to find and smell the local cedar with founder Hall Newbegin and chief storyteller Obi Kaufmann before heading back to the shop where Obi demonstrated the distillation process. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to taste a Redwood martini, Desert Sage Old Fashioned or some of Hall’s homemade mead, which we can vouch is extremely delicious.
Want to experience some fresh, West Coast air without leaving the city? Visit the Juniper Ridge pop up at 101 North 8th St. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Mon-Fri from 12-8pm and Sat-Sun from 10am-6pm. Hurry, the shop will only be open through the first few weeks of 2013.
All photography by Sabine Scheckel. Store design by Claudio Martonffy Design. To learn more about Juniper Ridge, visit juniperridge.com.
