Been There/Done That

Duross & Langel In-Store Demos

by Char Vandermeer

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Every Wednesday through Aug. 27 (excluding Aug. 13), 6-8 p.m., free, Duross & Langel Savonniers, 117 S. 13th St., 215-592-SOAP, durossandlangel.com

On a recent Wednesday evening, Steve Duross and his partner, James Langel, served up Lolita margaritas to a thirsty crowd at their Midtown Village shop, Duross & Langel Savonniers. After an emergency run to the state store around the corner for another fifth of Cuervo Gold for the expanding crowd, Duross and his team mixed up some margarita-inspired soaps, lip balms and sugar scrubs at the latest installment of their in-store demo series, which conveniently happens to coincide with Center City Sips.

Manning the soap station was local artist Chuck Kalick, whose bars have graced Duross & Langel's shelves for years. Into his simmering base brew of glycerin and coconut oil went chunks of shea butter, olive oil and liberal doses of fragrant lime and Valencia orange essential oils. While Kalick's concoction bubbled and guests tossed back tasty margaritas, Duross was busy stirring up a batch of lime lip balm laced with calendula and sweet stevia. Mitchell Berven-Stotz, a 10-year-old attendee enjoying a tequila-free version of the evening's signature refreshment, helped Duross decant the rapidly solidifying mixture into miniature tins. Downstairs, apprentice soapmaster Wade Jackman was using a mint green KitchenAid to blend a mixture of equal parts olive oil and sugar with grapeseed and hempseed oils, cold-pressed lime oil and a five-fold-blend Valencia oil into a luscious body scrub.

You haven't missed your chance to come early and often. Duross & Langel will be celebrating their special brand of good, clean fun every Wednesday through August. Next on the menu: Capogiro-inspired peppermint stracciatella soap.