Timothy Falzon is no ordinary guy. Sure, he’s super-cool, knows how to make a drink or 10 and has a gorge Mediterranean accent. But he’s gone where no mixologist has gone before – turning fragrance into cocktails for The Perfume Shop!
From 24-26 May 2016, we’re launching The Perfume Bar at Mahiki in London. So if you’re a lover of cocktails, you’ve come to the right place. We met up with Timothy Falzon, the mastermind behind the fragrance cocktails, to find out more…
How long have you been a mixologist?
I was a bartender in Malta for seven years, and when I moved to London three years ago I started mixology behind the bar. I’ve been working at Mahiki for a year now. It’s great!
What do you do as a mixologist?
Mixology is all about combining flavours and making them balanced and palatable. People come to Mahiki for delicious cocktails, so I was really excited when I was asked to create cocktails for The Perfume Bar.
What cocktails will you be making at The Perfume Bar?
Thierry Mugler Angel Colada, Chloe Signature martini, Marc Jacobs Daisy Margarita, Julep Gaultier Le Male and Hugo Boss Cutter.
How do you make a fragrance into a cocktail?
Fragrances and cocktails are similar in that they both have alcohol as a base. When I start to make a fragrance into a cocktail, I strip down the perfume and look at the different notes. Then I decide which of these you would want to taste in a drink. Half of your taste is through your nose, so I choose the ingredients that smell amazing.
Which perfume notes make the best cocktails?
Fruity notes make good cocktails. Other tasty notes for a drink are mint and herbs. I loved putting together the Jean Paul Gaultier cocktail for The Perfume Bar – we call it Julep Gaultier Le Male – as its ingredients include cinnamon, tonka bean syrup and mint. If I had my own bar, it would definitely be on the menu!
Which ingredients do you always include in your cocktails?
At Mahiki, we always have lime, rum and sugar in our main drinks. But I love mixing flavours like passion fruit and grapefruit, lemon and berries, and pineapple and coconut. It’s all about the Rubik’s Cube of flavours and discovering which ones are made for each other.
What’s your favourite summer cocktail?
Right now, it’s a margarita or a daiquiri.
What’s your favourite perfume?
Bvlgari Man in Black. It reminds me of a Sazerac cocktail, which is made with rye whiskey, absinthe and bitters. They’re both strong and distinctive.
Of all the cocktails you’re making for The Perfume Bar, which is your favourite?
I love the Julep Gaultier Le Male. It’s a classic drink, smells super-floral with its orange blossom and lavender mist sprinkled on top, and it tastes soft and spicy. I call in perfect chemistry!
