By Stefanie Collins, editor b&c
Bombay Sapphire launched its True Artistry collaboration project in Melbourne last week, previewing a series of avant-garde creative partnerships with Australian music, fragrance and culinary experts.
The lastest iteration of the Project Bontanicals series is a sensory experience based around flavours, scents, sounds and visuals inspired by the ten botanicals found in each bottle of Bombay Sapphire gin.
The True Artistry collaborators include internationally renowned DJ duo Yolanda Be Cool, fragrance specialist and creator Samantha Taylor, Head Chef of Taxi Kitchen Tony Twitchett, and Head Chef of the Botanic Restaurant in Sydney’s Botanic Gardens Matt Fletcher.
Raj Nagra, Bombay Sapphire Global Brand Ambassador says of the project: “For the Bombay brand the heritage, design, distillation process and unique ingredients found in each bottle of Bombay Sapphire all form ‘True Artistry’ and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to work so closely with such inspiring home-grown Australian talent. Each sensory collaborator brings their own unique perspective and vision to our philosophy of ‘True Artistry’.”
Samantha Taylor, one of Australia’s most esteemed fragrance experts at Melbourne’s The Powder Room, says that the partnership is a “world first” which has created a limited edition Bombay Sapphire unisex fragrance.
“The botanicals for the fragrance have been sourced from the same origin as those in Bombay Sapphire’s gin, such as orris from Italy and lemon peel from Spain. We are delighted with the final product”, she says.
International DJ’s and local Bondi Boys Yolanda Be Cool have curated a mix of tracks entitled “Yolanda Be Cool x Bombay Sapphire: Songs to Drink Gin To” on their Spotify channel, with the tracks inspired by and smapling the local sounds of the exotic locations of the ten botanicals.
“We’re thrilled to be part of the ‘True Artistry’ experience and instantly felt inspired by the history of the brand and the countries from where the botanicals are sourced,” they say. “This helped us create unique sounds for the Bombay Sapphire mix which includes drums from Africa, elements of the ayun ambing from West Java and the flamenco from Spain.”
Head chefs, Tony Twitchett of Taxi Kitchen and Matt Fletcher of Botanic Restaurant, have collaborated to create a menu for each of their restaurants based on the botanicals of the gin. These menus will beavailable through a “paired cocktail and dining experience” to be held this year in Melbourne at Taxi Riverside in September, and again in March, 2017 at the Botanic Gardens Restaurant in Sydney.
The Melbourne event is on sale now and will open for only two weeks from Thursday 8th September – Sunday 18th September 2016.