As mixologists and cocktail enthusiasts try to come up with ever more creative ways to blend booze, some wacky trends are started. Perfume inspired cocktails first became a centerpiece at the Ritz-Carlton in Berlin. Their perfume cocktail tasting is called Fragrance and has a lineup of drinks based on “exclusive fragrances and personal memories.”
Brands like Giorgio Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, and Guerlain were some of the inspirations for bar manager Arnd Heissen. The Angelique Noire by Guerlain combines jasmine, angelica root, bergamot, vanilla, Zacapa XO, and champagne while the Nuit de l’Homme by Yves Saint Laurent is a mix of lavender infused Tanqueray 10, rhododendron sake, fresh lemon and vanilla-vetiver-patchouli-grapefruit-eucalyptus syrup. Try saying that five times fast.
The Hotel Café Royal in London recently followed suit, launching a line of drinks inspired by seven Givenchy fragrances. Created by mixologist Tiziano Tasso, the drinks mirror the L’Atelier Givenchy collection and include the martini-style Cuir Blanc and the Japanese whisky based Oud Flamboyant.
Both series of fragrance-inspired cocktails rely on unique ingredients that mimic the subtle notes of perfume, playing on the connection between smell and taste. If you’ve ever thought a perfume smelled good enough to drink, this is your chance to see if that’s really true (please don’t drink your perfume)!