Fragrances Ritz Carlton Berlin

Descriptors like ‘groundbreaking’, ‘one-of-a-kind’, and ‘revolutionary’ have a tendency to get overused, but when it comes to Fragrances at the Ritz-Carlton in Berlin, these phrases only scratch the surface of doing the venue justice. The first bar in the world to harmoniously combine perfumes and their aromas with cocktails, Fragrances is an experience you won’t soon forget. The odyssey begins when you enter the bar and are greeted by perfumes and cocktail ingredients, the latter resting under curvaceous glass tubes. The scene is reminiscent of the sweetest scientific experiment of all time, and would be right at home in a cocktail-mad scientist’s home laboratory. Guests make their way down the line, inhaling the fragrances of the opulent and often world famous perfumes, deciding which one they would like to imbibe in cocktail form.

The cocktails have already been pre-matched to the perfumes by the award-winning team behind Fragrances, and when the selection is made, the concoctions are then freshly-shaken and then delivered to patrons, scoring plenty of points for presentation along the way. A fine example of their handiwork is the tipple that pays homage to the lavish Indian-inspired perfume, Varra by Penhaligon, which is a composition of smoky bourbon, dark rum, saffron, pear puree, rosewater, sandalwood, and tonka bean syrup tinged with vanilla, honey, and magnolia. To top things off, this beauty is served in a miniature-house complete with a chimney emitting puffs of savory smoke. With other cocktail inspirations coming from the likes of Yves Saint Laurent and Giorgio Armani, regardless of what strikes your fancy at Fragrances, your senses are in for a treat.