Entry No. 30 — the Indianapolis file — filed under: perfume
The Aroma Labs at Bottleworks
A sleek, gender-neutral custom fragrance bar located in the historic Bottleworks District where couples can design their own signature scents.
The story
Tucked into Suite 120 inside the historic Bottleworks District on Mass Ave, this custom scent bar skips the aggressive mall-kiosk sprayers and department store marketing. Instead, you sit down in front of a 40-fragrance perfumer's organ—a tiered station stocked with gender-neutral notes meant to be dissected, stacked, and tested strip by strip.
The point isn't to walk out smelling like a cologne commercial. You pick individual base, heart, and top notes, fanning the paper strips together in various ratios until you find a combination that actually works on your terms. Once you settle on a formula, you write down the precise recipe, give your custom mix an official name, and choose whether to infuse it into a liquid perfume, body oil, or lotion.
What it's like
Expect an interactive, seat-at-the-counter setup where you work side-by-side at the organ. You'll spend most of your time waving dry test strips under your nose, tweaking percentages before a single drop hits a bottle. It is deliberate, quiet, and method-driven. Double-check their current operating schedule before heading over, as operating hours can shift.
The move: Sit side-by-side at the 40-fragrance perfumer's organ, blending test strips of varying notes to create a custom scent formula that you can name and infuse into a personal bottle of perfume, body oil, or lotion.
- 📍 Mass Ave / Bottleworks District
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 850 Massachusetts Ave, Suite 120, Indianapolis, IN 46204
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Chatham Passage — Pair your freshly mixed custom fragrance with a short walk to Chatham Passage, where a hidden subterranean vault wafts the smell of fresh roses through a street grate.
- Wiseguy Lounge — Follow up your scent-mixing session with a drink concealed behind the back-corner door of Goodfellas Pizzeria just down Mass Ave.
- Salt & Ash Market — Keep the hands-on crafting theme going by stopping into Salt & Ash Market, a nearby local apothecary studio running sensory-focused workshops.
Good to know
What products can I make here?
You can turn your custom scent blend into a finished bottle of perfume, body oil, or lotion.
How does the blending process work?
You sit at a perfumer's organ containing 40 distinct fragrance notes, layer test strips together to build your scent, write out your formula, give it a name, and mix it into your chosen base.
Where is the lab located within Bottleworks?
It is located at 850 Massachusetts Ave, Suite 120, in the Bottleworks District along Mass Ave.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: visitindy.com · Official site
last checked: 2026-07-21