Leah Pekrul stands outside her new cocktail business located inside the former Herberger’s store on Minnesota Street.

If you want or need a place to relax, Sweet Haven Tonics is probably your best answer. It is located at 116 North Minnesota Street in New Ulm. Some may remember that the Herbergers store used to be in that space.

Leah Pekrul is the major owner of the business. During Covid, she taught Language Arts remotely to 7th graders. She found she also needed a hobby and began working on a number of different tonics.

Her cocktail hobby included making a variety of tonics using a variety of ingredients. She made tonics by adding a lot of homemade elements to a cocktail using simple syrups, concentrates, reductions, and combining natural flavors of fruits, herbs, and spices.

Sweet Haven offers a variety of tastings of cocktails and mocktails (non-alcoholic) along with charcuterie boards for people to enjoy. It is a great place to relax with your family and friends.

Music at Sweet Haven is provided at a level so people can talk and connect with others. “Creating connections is my “why” and cocktails bring people together. That is why I created a space where people can meet. We provide live music on Friday nights, but even the live music is at a volume so people can still hold a conversation as we want our business to be a place where people can connect. Cocktails should be a connection,” said Pekrul.

Sweet Haven does rent the cocktail lounge as an event space. If you need a private place to gather for meetings, parties, or some other type of group gathering, stop in or give them a call at (507) 354-5525 to reserve the space.

Sweet Haven has started a new venture of promoting their business and selling their products on Amazon. “We are excited about where that can go with a national marketplace,” Pekrul said.

She added, “I am planning to start cocktail making classes in the very near future. Seems like a great way to blend a past teaching career with entrepreneurial skills.

Pekrul said, “I have great employees who really care and want Sweet Haven to grow.” Mark Pekrul, Leah’s twin brother, manages the bar and works in production making and bottling tonics from their 300 gallon kettle. Lori Pietz manages the cocktail lounge and the retail for the business. Danielle Scribber takes care of online orders, social media, and marketing the business. Ava Marti does batching of cocktails and makes the charcuterie boards.

Pekrul also employes about 20 part-time employees who work in the lounge and in production.

To learn more about Sweet Haven’s business, see www.sweethaventonics.com. The website includes their products, media and press coverage, tutorials for making cocktails, and more.

Sweet Haven Tonics would like to offer a 15 percent discount on tonics for people either in the store or online. Use the code JOURNAL15 until March 10. A stop during Bockfest would be a great way to check out Sweet Haven and get a discount on tonics!