Distillery Complex — with rooftop bar, cigar lounge — set to open on Pittsburgh's South Shore

JohnS · July 21

Distillery Complex — with rooftop bar, cigar lounge — set to open on Pittsburgh's South Shore

Anna Mares - Friday, July 18, 2025

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Photo courtesy of Fisher Fotos.

Back in 1794, Western Pennsylvania farmers picked up their pitchforks and muskets over a tax on whiskey. These days, Pittsburghers are more likely to wig out after a bad call at a Pirates game, but history seems to be repeating itself one barrel at a time.

The location of the last pre-Prohibition whiskey distillery in Pittsburgh is being reinvented as The Distillery Complex. Set to open July 28, the new spot promises smooth sips and bold flavors, but rest assured: no federal troops required.

The reimagined six-story building at 59 S. Second St. on Pittsburgh’s South Shore (just under the Liberty Bridge) brings together drastically different experiences on each floor.

Peter Margittai, president of the South Side Chamber of Commerce, said The Distillery Complex will be a destination spot and will bring in people who otherwise may not come to the area.

“The other exciting thing is the development is between First Street and 10th Street,” he said. “It’s not a popular area. There’s a lot less going on there because of the disinvestment over the years. To see someone take a historic building and breathe new life into it, in an area that needs reviving, that’s an exciting thing for us and will help the business district.”

Margittai said with SouthSide Works at one end of the South Side and The Distillery Complex at the other, the middle will take care of itself.

“The one real challenge in the South Side is that after covid, crime has spiked, and we had a lot of issues with that,” he said. “But it’s much better than it was a couple of years ago … and The Distillery will be helpful for the South Side.”

Big Spring Spirits isn’t a new face in Pennsylvania. The company is expanding from an original storefront in Centre County, where it originated 11 years ago. The Pittsburgh location is its second home, where it will expand to include a cigar lounge, rooftop bar and venue space, creating The Distillery Complex.

“We’ve grown so much that we needed a second location,” said Bree Macauley, marketing director for Big Spring Spirits.

Tony Mazzarini, president and CEO of Big Spring Spirits, was originally searching for property in Downtown Pittsburgh until he came across the South Shore property.

“When I saw the view of the skyline back across the river, I thought it was amazing,” he said. “In the Golden Triangle, you’re part of the view, and on this side of the river, you own the view.”

Originally home to Joseph S. Finch’s brick house in the late 1800s, a warehouse where he stored barrels of aging whiskey, the building has been thoughtfully preserved and its bones, structure and character remain intact. Big Spring Spirits has a passion for maintaining environmentally friendly, Gold LEED-certified buildings — its Bellfonte location was an old match company.

Although it took more time and money than anticipated to renovate the old building, Mazzarini said it was worth it.

“I had several contractors say to tear it down, that it will cost me a fortune to save it,” he said. “There was damage from sitting vacant and having a roof leak. We had to work around it, but we got to save the infrastructure of the building and show it off. It’s cool we were able to do it.”

The first floor will house the Big Spring Spirits Distillery & Bottle Shop. Big Springs also plans to open a marketplace and delicatessen in the fall, where they will sell fresh vegetables and fruits.

“Things this neighborhood needs,” Mazzarini said. “It’s kind of a food desert.”

The fourth floor will boast The Drawing Room, a luxury cigar lounge open to both private members and the public.

Mazzarini is excited to bring the concept to Pittsburgh, where he said there’s nothing of its kind.

Drawing on experiences in Las Vegas, Chicago, South Florida, Spain, Portugal and Italy, he is hoping to take the best of each lounge and create a unique experience.

“It’s important to have a friendly, clean and well-ventilated space to enjoy a cigar,” he said.

Although the cigar lounge hasn’t opened its doors, it has already received membership applications.

The fifth floor’s stunning event venue, The Reserve, can hold up to 300 people. The sixth floor’s rooftop bar and lounge with sweeping city and river views is called The Finch.

Mazzarini is excited for Pittsburgh to experience The Distillery Complex.

“I’ve invested in properties across the U.S., but now I’m excited to put a mark on my own hometown,” he said.

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