If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Robb Report may receive an affiliate commission. People—Gen Z and Millennials in particular— are drinking less alcohol , reflecting a growing health consciousness. We’re more aware of the negative effects of overindulgence and the unpleasantness of hangovers.
After all, when was being excessively drunk ever cool? But there’s an intriguing paradox going on in the culture. We’re imbibing less booze, but buying more and more niche fragrances—for our bodies and our homes—that smell like liquor. Master perfumers the world over are exploring and reinterpreting these boozy notes in new and innovative ways.
While the liquor accords of the past could often smell cheap and sickly sweet, the emergence of these artisanal versions has completely now feel unique, comforting, and yes, intoxicating—delivering all the appeal of these notes without the hangover. “There is a reason they are called spirits,” says Dustin Lujan, who’s in charge of curation and operations at the high-end boutique Osswald NYC , one of the Big Apple’s best fragrance stores . “Liquor accords are cheerful, sultry, and fun.
Just like ordering your favorite cocktail, these scents give you a style and taste that’s all your own.” These colognes carry an edgy, devil-may-care attitude, and despite their playful connotations, the fragrance world takes liquor accords seriously. They can be rich and gourmand-like, adding a warmth and depth that ranges from woodsy to sweet.
Some, like cognac or whiskey, work well in cooler months with coziness and comfort, while notes like gin or tequila add a crisp, refreshing feel to a summer scent. Even champagne or wine innately provides a sharp and robust foundation, a familiar yet distinct aroma. But fragrance designers say that liquor accords also provide a unique tone when mixed with traditional notes.
“Rum is more caramelized with a banana note. It feels tropical. It can be sweet & is very spicy,” says David Moltz, co-founder and perfumer of D.
S. & Durga . “Cognac is an actual oil used in the perfumer’s palette.
It is deeply fruity & smells the most like alcohol. With woods, it becomes fancy. Champagne has dry, fruity, woody notes.
” Carlos Huber, fragrance developer and founder of Arquiste , adds, “Liquors and wines have complex and quirky notes to explore; they go beyond the natural world and talk more about our urban reality.” These accords expand the palette for perfumers to create exemplary, intriguing fragrances. The rise of niche fragrances reflects our desire to smell as unique as we present ourselves, and a growing shift toward artisanal aromas.
Liquor accords, though familiar, are now being utilized to their full potential, adding an unexpected—yet familiar—element to modern fragrances. “I’ve stuck my schnoz in many a whisky barrel, and I can tell you it is one of the world’s best smells—rosy, ambery, deeply woody, and sometimes fruity, sometimes spicy,” Moltz says. Dustin Lujan adds, “There has certainly been a rise in consumption of fragrance with spirited notes.
With how exciting and innovative the niche fragrance industry has become, there are no more rules. These notes are being used in the most untraditional ways, and I am here for it.” The fusion of liquor and fragrances is not a new concept; some brands have made it an integral part of their identity.
Kilian Hennessy , a descendant of France’s famous cognac family, creates wildly popular, playful perfumes and colognes with prominent liquor notes. Kilian’s devotees include the likes of Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, and Rihanna. And his scents imbue seduction and elegance, making them distinctive, sometimes divisive, but unmistakably Kilian.
He describes one of his popular colognes, Angels’ Share, as “my most personal fragrance creation yet, inspired by my olfactive memory of the Hennessy Cognac cellars that I used to visit as a child.” This fall, Kilian will launch his interpretation of a Scottish whiskey, continuing to blend liquor and luxury in the fragrance world. It’s not just personal fragrances—home scents also contain elevated liquor accords.
In collaboration with Lalo Tequila, for example, Moltz crafted a scent called Jalisco Rain. “For Lalo, I analyzed their pure, specific blanco tequila made with a certain type of blue agave. I made real copies of it, but we wanted to get the smell of drinking tequila in the rain, so I drenched it with soaked earth that complements the gravitas of the tequila.
” Cuvee’s new Cabernet Sauvignon candle used a similarly artisanal approach. Instead of a sugary mulled scent, it offers an earthy and mysterious aroma, capturing the essence of the grapes in a new way. Even incense is experimenting with liquor accords, adding another seductive layer of complexity to home scents.
While some of these fragrant products use actual liquor accords, many create a vibe using molecules that mimic booze instead. They transport us to the smoky aroma of a lounge with cognac in hand, relaxing by the fireplace with wine or lounging poolside with a margarita. Perfumers use synthetic and natural accords to create a spirited aroma, taking artistic liberty to realize their fragrant cocktail.
“They are also mini compositions: a gin martini, a whiskey on the rocks, or sweet vermouth offers a beautiful array of notes to play with-botanical, green, woody, spicy, or sweet,” Huber says. “They add a touch of storytelling and even nostalgia to the game.” While liquor notes are trending, it’s important to remember that classics never go out of style.
Just like a beautiful topcoat remains timeless, so do traditional scents—citrus for summer, vetiver for spring, and woods or oud for fall and winter. But the list of boozy new personal and home fragrances below exemplify olfactory artistry—like a bartender crafting a cocktail—to create complex, intoxicating aromas, and are an excellent starting point to explore liquor accords. In times like these, a touch of warmth and a bit of fun might be just what we need.
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