Did you know that your tongue can only actually taste five basic flavours? Salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami – there’s a real synergy between what you taste and what you smell and they both go hand in hand to make the ultimate sensory experience. With that in mind, we recently teamed up with London’s leading mixologist to create the perfect aperitif to complement our latest addition to the House of Creed.
A staple at our latest press launch event, we can certainly vouch that this fruity aromatic cocktail, inspired by the new Aventus Cologne, sets the scene for a sophisticated soiree.
Launching on 1st June 2019, Aventus Cologne is an uplifting take on a classic men’s cologne. Both daring and urban-spirited, this new scent offers a rebellious modern twist to the cult classic forerunner, Aventus. Combining refreshing notes of mandarin with aromatic ginger and pink peppercorn this new scent is perfectly complemented by a sumptuous heart of patchouli, sandalwood and vetiver whilst the leathery balsamic base of styrax, birch, musk and tonka bean provides the final touch to this vibrant new scent.
The unique combination of fruity, aromatic and woody notes makes it the perfect scent to inspire a unique and thirst quenching cocktail.
“Colours, flavours and smells are vital to any cocktail creation, but these are extremely personal elements as well, so experimenting is essential in order to come up with something that is truly bespoke and unique” – Giorgio Tosato
Best known as The Notorious Cocktail, founder of luxury events company, Philoxenia and expert Mixologist, Giorgio Tosato, has been working alongside some of the biggest names in the hospitality industry for over a decade. With a unique take on the art of cocktail making, Giorgio has created some of the best cocktails the industry has to offer for the likes of Gordon Ramsey, Sky Garden, Sketch and some of Ibiza’s finest bars.
It is his playful and unique approach to cocktail recipes that makes his creations so notorious and one you can certainly rely on to push you out of your comfort zone. Forget a classic mojito or old fashioned, Giorgio gets his inspiration from a whole host of exotic destinations and backgrounds to give your taste buds something equally daring and delicious. We caught up with Giorgio to discover his approach to creating this perfume-inspired cocktail and where he looks to for inspiration with new cocktail creations.
As a perfumer, Creed know all too well the power the senses have on what you taste. How do you use different flavours, smells and colours to play on the senses?
Colours, flavours and smells are vital to any cocktail creation, but these are extremely personal elements as well, so experimenting is essential in order to come up with something that is truly bespoke and unique.
This experimenting part could be anything from mixing a selection of weird and wonderful, to creating own infusions and syrups, which is what I often resort to, as that is when I can really bring in my own vision and personality and add that extra twist.
The key, always, is to really understand the brief and be able to “liquefy” it in such a way that it ties in together with the rest of the key elements, such as the occasion, location, time of the day, etc and becomes a memorable part of the story.
Where do you look for inspiration for new cocktails?
I always try to keep my creations simple yet intriguing. I believe the focus should always be on the taste of the ingredients and the palate experience that these can create. Therefore, I always look for inspiration through my personal experiences – ones that I get from travelling, tasting and smelling unique products from local areas and even building personal relationships with people from different backgrounds and cultures. Each of my creations is a true reflection of my personality, a mix of vision, experience, creativity and emotions that translate into a unique character in every drink.
What was your approach to the Aventus Cologne cocktail? Where did you get your inspiration?
I am a big fan of the brand and have been wearing the perfumes for a number of years now. The inspiration for my Aventus Cologne cocktail recipe comes from the real detail from the history of the brand back in 1760 and how it has evolved since then, how it has and is responding to changing market tastes with products that are innovative, but yet still carry the same sophistication and uniqueness.
It is a similar concept when it comes to mixology and I see this as reflection in my work. In particular, I found Olivier Creed’s approach to sourcing, research, inspection and commissioning of the finest materials extremely inspirational. So I followed the same tactic when creating the Aventus Cologne cocktail and the result did not disappoint.
Aventus Cologne cocktail recipe
Created bespoke for Creed’s Aventus Cologne launch activities, this exclusive cocktail cannot be found on a single menu across the globe. However, Giorgio was kind enough to share with Creed the secret recipe behind his unique cocktail creation. Using a blend of homemade infusions, this cocktail recipe is not for the faint hearted but will certainly be worth it.
Cocktail Ingredients
Vodka infused mandarin (40ml)
Homemade ginger liqueur (20ml)
Fresh mandarin juice (15ml)
Fresh lemon juice (15ml)
Homemade tonka & rose syrup (15ml)
3 Drops of Angostura Bitter
Grated tonka (to garnish)
Homemade mandarin bitter essence spray flower (to garnish)
Method: Shaken. Pop the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until thoroughly mixed. Pour over ice into a tumbler glass, holding back the ice in the shaker, and finish with the garnish.
HOMEMADE GINGER LIQUEUR (Makes 700ml)
INGREDIENTS: 350g GINGER – 350ml vodka – 350Gml sugar (superfine)
METHOD: Place chopped ginger, vodka, water and sugar in a large vac bag and seal with maximum pressure allowed without spillage. Leave to infuse at room temperature overnight (or for 24 hours). Strain the infusion in a bottle by using a chinois.
HOMEMADE TONKA & ROSEBAY SYRUP (Makes 700ml)
INGREDIENTS: 20g Tonka beans & 15g dry rose – 700g sugar (superfine) 350ml water – 1g malic acid
METHOD: Place the tonka, rose, water malic acid and sugar in a large vac bag and seal with maximum pressure allowed without spillage. Leave to infuse at room temperature overnight (or for 24 hours). Strain the infusion using a chinois and bottle.
HOMEMADE MANDRIN BITTER (Makes 100ml)
INGREDIENTS: Mandarin skin – Gentian - mandarin blossom - lemon skin – alcohol 95%
METHOD: Place all the ingredients in a large vac bag and seal with maximum pressure allowed without spillage. Leave to infuse at room temperature for 3 days. Strain the infusion by using a chinois.
