Stateside Podcast: Detroit bar blends mixology and perfumery

By April Van Buren,

Published January 23, 2025 at 5:00 AM EST

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Kevin Peterson, founder of Castalia at Sfumato, previously worked in fine dining, but ultimately decided not to continue in the industry. He later read Tom Robbins' Jitterbug Perfume, which inspired him to learn more about perfumery.

"And I saw a lot of ties between the way food and flavor is composed, in the way fragrances are composed and wanted to bring that idea to life," Peterson said.

Ronia Cabansag / Michigan Public

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Each of Sfumato's fragrances pair with at least one cocktail and one mocktail on Castalia's bar menu. The drinks are redesigned each season based on a theme. This season's selections are inspired by scientists.

"So coming from the science world, I wanted to be able to highlight some of my heroes and especially people who maybe didn't get the credit that they were due in their time," Kevin Peterson, founder of Castalia at Sfumato, said.

Ronia Cabansag / Michigan Public

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Castalia at Sfumato lives in Midtown, in the basement of an 1880s building that now contains several businesses and a a couple residences.

Ronia Cabansag / Michigan Public

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"This is an old Michigan basement," Kevin Peterson, founder of Castalia at Sfumato, said of the business's space. "And in building out the space, we actually had to dig out the entire patio. We had to dig the floor down about three more feet to get head clearance in here."

Ronia Cabansag / Michigan Public

After the event-filled holidays, Dry January has become a popular way for many people to reset their routines for the new year. However, embracing an alcohol-free lifestyle doesn’t mean sacrificing fun.

Kevin Peterson, owner and co-founder of Castalia at Sfumato in Detroit, spoke with Stateside about his menu and the growing trend of mocktails in Michigan. The business is a natural botanical perfumery by day, and a bar by night. Each scent is paired on the menu with at least two cocktails — one alcoholic, and one non-alcoholic.

“I wanted people to be able to come in and enjoy an experience whether they were drinking or not,” Peterson said. “I've gone through phases where I consume alcohol and phases where I don't. My wife has gone through phases for various reasons.”

A wooden shelf displaying Sfumato's fragrances is designed to close like a cabinet, making space for Castalia to open as a cocktail bar in the evening.

In addition to creating an inclusive environment, Peterson finds serving mocktails to be an interesting challenge. Crafting mocktails provides an opportunity to focus on flavors rather than just alcohol, he said. A truly intriguing drink experience arises from the balance of flavors.

“There's something that draws you in. There's something that pushes you away,” Peterson explained. “A lot of times that thing drawing you in is the sugar, and then the thing pushing you away could be some bitterness, some sourness. Often, the alcohol plays some role in that. And when you're replacing that with water or some other liquid, you have to be a little more creative in how you create that challenge and how you create that tension.”

"With every new venture, I try to create something based around cardamom as kind of my stamp on that new area, whether it's a candle, a fragrance, a cocktail, whatever element may be in the sensory world," said of his favorite fragrance and cocktail ingredient.

Hear the full conversation with Kevin Peterson on the Stateside podcast.

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GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:

Kevin Peterson, owner and co-founder of Castalia at Sfumato in Detroit