The Everleigh Bottling Co. has collaborated with Melbourne fragrance house Flâner in time for Mother’s Day – developing a one-off cocktail to pair with the brand’s signature Vive La Fleur perfume.
In the capable hands of The Everleigh Bottling Co.’s Product Development Manager Paul Hammond, the cocktail is an ode to Paris’ bohemian Left Bank circa the 1920s, a roaringly creative time for the bohemian at heart and scent.
It makes for the perfect Mother’s Day gift to celebrate the leading ladies in your life and what’s more it’s a limited edition winner.
The fragrance captures the essence of magnolias, apricot, jasmine where the cocktail crafted by Hammond is a mix of vibrant dry gin with an elegance backdrop of pink grapefruit and zesty lemon. He throws in floral notes of dry cherry and white peach alongside a kick of absinthe.
We spoke to Paul Hammond for our At The Bar series at The Write Drop. He shares his favourite Melbourne bars, where you’ll find him in Sydney, and what wine he’s loving from Victoria right now.
MY CITY
Melbourne – there’s a beautiful balance here, it feels international and local, both accessible but spread out. With what feels like world class food and coffee on every corner, it’s relaxed, refined and understated.
FAVOURITE FOOD MEMORY
My favourite food memory is going to Bistecca, Sydney for dinner. I absolutely love the confidence to deliver a fine dining experience with only one main course. Great atmosphere, attention to detail and of course food. If you’re looking for a steak in Sydney then for my money, you can’t beat it.
FAVOURITE BAR
In Melbourne – I recommend Above Board or The Everleigh for cocktails. The Elysian or Whisky & Alement for a cheeky dram or Caretakers Cottage for a pint of Guinness and some geeky rugby chat with Matt Stirling.
DRINK THAT DESCRIBES YOU
To drink I personally love a Tuxedo, which is a martini made with dry sherry, but I’m definitely not that fancy. So, to describe myself I would go with something classic, easy going but a touch bitter. Maybe a Jungle Bird.
BEST HANGOVER CURE
Blessedly, I’m not one to suffer from hangovers very often but for a dead set cure I don’t think you can beat a swim in the ocean.
BEST INTERSTATE BAR
Sydney has some great new venues that have opened recently – I recommend either the Waratah or Caterpillar Club – top of my list when I’m in town.
FAVOURITE WINE
2023 Pretty Much Red Dolcetto Zibibbo blend by Defialy Wines. A ludicrously easy drinking chilled red, with leafy blackcurrant, elderflower and amaro vibes.
FAVOURITE WINERY
For something a bit different, I’d recommend Pennyweight in Beechworth. It’s a small family run winery that boasts some of Australia’s best fortified wines, we particularly enjoyed their Gold and La Serena Oloroso.
NEXT DESTINATION
Nothing planned but I’d love to get to Japan. They have such a different perspective on food, drinks and hospitality. Worth the trip for the Ramen alone.
TELL US ABOUT THE COLLABORATION WITH FLÂNER FRAGRANCES FOR A MOTHER’S DAY DROP?
In collaborating with flâner fragrances for Mother’s Day this year, we wanted to be able to offer gifts that would create an indulgent escape for the most important ladies in our lives. The transportive nature of both cocktails and fragrances gave us the opportunity to do this in a way that The Everleigh Bottling Co. hasn’t explored before. Watch this space for other collaborations to come.
TELL US HOW THE COLLABORATION CAPTURES THE ESSENCE OF BOTH BRANDS
Each flâner fragrance has its own beautifully playful narrative that transports the wearer to another place or time. With an old-world elegance, we’ve brought our own world-class bar to bottle know-how and taken inspirational cues from flâner’s Vive La Fleur, which embodies the Paris springtime frivolity of the roaring 1920’s.
WHAT IS THE FUTURE FOR BOTTLED READY TO DRINK COCKTAILS
These drinks obviously had a moment in the COVID sun with everyone supporting their favourite bars and restaurants with a night out staying in, either following along on a zoom masterclass or imbibing a bottled version of their favourite tipple. Acceptable levels of at home cocktail consumption have certainly dropped post pandemic, but I think that there’s still a huge amount of space in people’s minds, and fridges, for pre-bottled mixed drinks.
Cocktails at home may be a little less scary than they used to be, but I’m sure the idea of whipping up even something as simple as a round of martinis as an aperitif for your upcoming dinner party seems like an awful faff. That’s where the ready to drink cocktail steps in. No fuss, no equipment or clean up, serve straight from the fridge or freezer and wow your friends with a world class cocktail at home.
