Rituals Series II: Scents for Foodies at MiN New York

The last time I visited MiN New York, I was there for the Aphrodisiacs session of their Rituals Series II. I left that event with a handful of interesting information about aphrodisiacal (is that a word?) foods, flavors, and aromas (as well as a nice alcohol buzz). So obviously there was little doubt in my decision to sign up for my next session, Scents for Foodies!

I showed up at the event and was greeted with a scattering of attendees - FYI in case anyone plans to attend in the future: the first 30 minutes are usually set aside to mingle and wait for all the attendees to show up. The interesting thing about this session was that the audience primarily consisted of women, though I suppose that really isn't much of a surprise. The aphrodisiacs session did have a stronger male presence, but my guess is that their wives/girlfriends/spouse/friend/whatever dragged them there.

Before I begin my recap of the flavors we were introduced to at the event, I want to state that I was very cautious this time about how much I actually drank...and that I don't have the greatest affinity for heavy alcohol flavors. Now that that's out there, let's begin!

The session kicked off with the introduction of a perfume called "Havana Vanille" by L'Artisan Parfumeur. To capture the essence of Havana, the perfume featured notes of vanilla, cloves, and tobacco. To pair with this scent, our mixologist designed a drink featuring bourbon infused with cloves, fresh papaya, brown sugar, mescal, vanilla pods, sugar, and orange bitters served alongside a dried date. I felt that this drink nicely matched the concepts of the perfume, with the heavy and musky feel of Havana. I had originally hoped that the vanilla essence would be the dominant flavor, but instead it was presented as a very subtle flavor, sort of an afterthought to the heavier bitter and clove notes.

Next up, we were introduced to "Malabah" by Penhaligon's, a scent featuring earl grey, lemon, cardamom, and rose amongst other notes. The drink we were provided with was a mix of vodka infused with earl grey and cardamom, limoncino, lemon juice, simple syrup, rose water, nutmeg, and topped with a dehydrated lemon wheel. For this drink, I again felt that the flavors of the vodka and limoncino were too strong for my taste, but I liked that the infusion of earl grey provided the drink with a nice subtle undertone, followed by a slightly bitter lemon note. And much to my delight, the drink was paired with a scoop of delicious earl grey gelato from il laboratorio del gelato. The gelato was a rich and creamy infusion of earl grey tea flavors, yet not overwhelmingly sweet or strong in flavor.

The next perfume (and drink) were quite beautiful and pleasant, with strong fruity and floral tones - the perfect summer perfume and drink combo! The perfume was "Liasons Dangereuses, Typical Me" by Kilian. The corresponding drink was a blend of gin, peach and plum puree, cinnamon syrup, lemon juice, and pink peppercorn. The drink was sweet (finally!) and the peach and plum puree provided a nice fruity, summery touch, invoking feelings of lying on white sand beaches with the bright sun and blue sky overhead. The drink was served with breaded shrimp and a black currant brandy sauce. The sauce was sweet and rich in brandy flavor, and to me, presented an entirely different feel from the drink and perfume - more of a mysterious, dark, romantic tone.

 The fourth perfume was "Caravelle Epicee" by Frapin and quite honestly, I cannot remember what it smelled like...at all. But there is a reason for this - the corresponding drink was SO good! When I first heard the ingredients of tequila infused with habanero pepper, thyme simple syrup, grapefruit, and cilantro, I was dreading the first taste. After all, those ingredients simply do not sound like the type of drink I would like (i.e. sweet, fruity, and fun!). But upon first sip (through a silver straw, in fact), I was pleasantly surprised. The tequila flavor was completely masked by the beautifully contrasting flavors in the glass. The habanero pepper gave the drink a fun little kick, the thyme simple syrup blended in notes of sugary sweetness, and the cilantro at the bottom of the glass allowed the drink to end on an alternate, herbal note. The lamb that we were served was also quite delicious, very tender with a slight spicy kick, cooled off by the raita drizzled on top.

Again, my apologies for not remembering this perfume, but the last perfume in the series was "Angelo di Fiume" by Linari Fine Fragrances. I keep thinking this is the perfume that gave the impression of walking into a sweet smelling cupcake bakery (kind of like the scent that exudes out the doors of Magnolia Bakery),  but I can't actually remember now :( But again, there is a reason! This time, the drink was definitely way too strong for me, with whiskey infused with jasmine tea, dried cherries, orange peel, vermouth, cherry bitters, and fresh raspberries, but for those who are more tolerant of alcohol, it could be a nice finishing touch after a satisfyingly large and festive feast. Anyways, what I was so distracted by was the salted caramel macaron from ChikaLicious. I've always known ChikaLicious to serve delicious desserts, so how could I expect anything less from their baked goods? The macaron was perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside, with a delicious salted caramel filling (and even better when smeared ever so slightly with salted caramel sauce).

I definitely enjoyed coming to MiN New York for the Journey of the Senses Rituals Series II, however I found that there were more drinks I was actually able to drink (note: sweeter and lighter) in the Aphrodisiacs session. If you are interested in attending any of these events, I don't think you should think too much about what will be presented at each session (i.e. aphrodisiacs versus scents for foodies) because in the end, you will leave pleased (and possibly drunk) regardless of which session you attend. Actually the only thing you might want to consider is what sort of perfume flavors you would prefer; for instance, I preferred the scents at the Scents for Foodies session, but preferred the drinks at the Aphrodisiacs session. In summary, if you are presented with the opportunity to visit MiN New York for any of their special apothecary sessions, don't hesitate - go and have fun!