Luxury brands are turning to mixologists to create special drinks that give off good vibes
Mixologists are coming up with special drinks to cater to the image of leading luxury brands
Drinkable perfume? Strange as this may seem, that's exactly what Victoria Chow, founder of hip cocktail bar The Woods, did for Dior's fragrance launch party. Chow created a delicious cocktail that smelt like the newly-launched Savage cologne by Dior.
This approach is not unusual as prestigious brands are customising alcoholic drinks at VIP events to deliver personal and intimate experiences for their customers.
"Two years ago, people walked around with trays of Champagne, sparkling water and orange juice. It was never centre stage," Chow says. "Now, it is part of the event. [Brands] want the beverage to tell the story as well."
Award winning-mixologist Antonio Lai, of Quinary and Origin fame, agrees: "It's about the experience nowadays - how we can make the guests remember the event."
Chow considers three key factors while creating a drink: the flavour profile, target audience and the brand's expectations.
For Dior, she paid close attention to the star of the evening - the cologne - and designed the taste of the cocktail to match the fragrance. She chose to serve the drink in a masculine rock glass to complement the look and feel of the men's cologne.
Chow was also the mastermind behind custom-designed cocktails for the houseware brand L'OBJET, launched by Lane Crawford.
To match the aesthetics of the brand, Chow sought inspiration from the products. The sparkling cocktail reflected a high-end, medieval feast-like brand image and characteristics of L'OBJET. "We made a Champagne cocktail and sprayed edible gold inside the glass. When the Champagne is poured … you can see the edible gold in the bubbles," Chow explains.
Lai shares similar experiences. He offered hands-on experience for guests to make their own cocktails with shakers in Salvatore Ferragamo's VIP event at Pacific Place.