Cocktail

I challenged myself to create a cocktail that elevates this love-it-or-hate-it ingredient to centre stage. By utilizing controlled lacto-fermentation under vacuum, I was able to produce a refined variation of Douzhi—retaining its signature vibrant acidity and clean legume flavour profile while eliminating the volatile aromas that typically deter the uninitiated.

I created this drink inspired by Promise XU’s favourite perfume—Dior Fahrenheit—reimagined through the structure of an Old Fashioned cocktail. In studying the perfume’s complexity with the aid of Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) data, I categorized its olfactory composition into five groups: citrus, floral, woody, and leathery, with a spiced amber drydown. The drink’s base is…

Hermès’s Ambre Narguilé, one of my favourite perfumes, is the namesake of this cocktail. I sought to capture the essence of the perfume in a cocktail by studying its aromas and Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) data. The drink employs an Old Fashioned–Vieux Carré framework, with aged rum and cognac as the base.