Ginsation: Gin Perfumes at Pickwick's

Last week we received a devastating duo of scents at the Mercantile. From the imaginations and sensitive noses of the renegades behind EastWest Bottlers come Moonshine for men and Speakeasy for women, prohibition inspired scents with a touch of rebellious gin at their hearts. Moonshine is clean and bright, a perfect scent for dapper breakers of rules. It opens with smoky confidence, the pop of black pepper seduced down to a whisper by warm tobacco and leather. Gin opens up the heart with a clean profile that brings to mind cool wind through juniper branches, and patchouli runs deep roots into dark earth, bringing it all together. It isn't hard to imagine Moonshine and Speakeasy dancing across a well-worn dance hall floor together. 

Maverick Theater as a speakeasy

Speakeasy is an ode to that new generation of women, gin-slinging, short hair wearing, and unlikely to wait for the man to ask for the dance. It opens as a feminized mirror to Moonshine with pink peppercorn on a bed of white moss, intoxicates with sapphire gin, and then turns the lights down a little bit with patchouli and nutmeg notes that pull no punches. Both are incredible and the Pickwickians are besotted. You will have to come in and sniff.

This new arrival got us to thinking. What other Pickwick's picks have this note, fresh and bright, but heavy with implications?

Tokyomilk's "Gin & Rosewater"

This little bottle packs some serious zing. With a composition of citrus zest, rosewood, mimosa, and mandarin, it goes on fresh and stays fresh throughout its wear life, rosewood sweet and gentle beneath a wave of green. It's a perfect scent to welcome Spring or love through the summer. ($32)

Arquiste's "Architect's Club"

Arquiste came at gin with a sophisticated angle for "The Architect's Club", setting the scene that inspired this concoction as follows:

Cocktail time, March 1930, London.A group of architects gather for cocktails at Mayfair’s smartest Art Deco smoking room. As they settle in the warm interior of dark woods, leather and velvet, London’s bright young things burst in, frosted martinis in hand, surrounded by a cloud of laughter, white smoke and fine vanilla.

Romanced? I am. This scent brought to mind the luxe and naive world of Evelyn Waugh's "Brideshead Revisited". Sebastian would live in this scent and it would suit him absolutely. This scent features notes such as juniper berry oil, bitter orange peel, the sweet resins of oakwood and vanilla absolute and it is as clean and warm as it sounds. ($190)

Penhaligon's "Juniper Sling"

If beer is German and vodka goes to Russia, then perhaps the Gin & Tonic is the spirited drink of  choice for staid Britannia. Penhaligon's of London, fine perfumers from 1870, pay homage to this idea with Juniper Sling, a men's scent that is at once both bald-faced and mysterious. Spicy with notes of cinnamon, brandy, and juniper, it surprises with sultry brown sugar and black cherry on the dry down. Intoxicating is the right word. ($ 180 )

Tocca's "Colette"

 

And back to the ladies! Tocca's Colette is a classical women's fragrance, with bergamot, lemon, juniper berry, as well as seductive notes of incense, sandalwood, and cedar. It wears close to the skin and is enticing, but keeps its secrets. Colette would have appreciated it, I think. It is a perfume that says much, but reveals nothing. ($68)

Come in and sample some of these delectable choices for yourself! Take a seat at the perfume bar and we'll serve you a cocktail of fine scents to enjoy- perhaps you will find your seduction of choice among the offerings. And if that doesn't suit you, we have some wonderful new lines for Spring that are approaching as quickly as the season itself (19 days, but we aren't counting). In the meantime, a touch of gin in your tonic is a time-honored New England way of surviving what remains of winter. Stay warm (and smell amazing).

Valentine's Day Gift Guide: "Pour Les Hommes"

As promised in our Valentine's Day guide for the lady in your life, here is the Pickwickian follow-up, with romantic choices for the gentleman!

Knewton Higgins
Juniper Ridge Trail Crew Wash, $26
Does your sweetheart sport a backpack as comfortably as a business-suit and dream of walking the Appalachian Trail like some folks do of the boardwalk in Miami? Juniper Ridge is made by and for men of darling's ilk. The crew of Juniper Ridge escape into the woods for weeks at a time and emerge loaded down with all natural, wild-gathered and home-extracted essential oils. This crew soap literally smells of an escape into the woods and can even be used safely in rivers and streams. The perfect Valentine's choice for your very own Muir or Bon Iver.

Penny Dreadful
Jimmy Chin x Harry's Kit, $30
Aside from your Valentine, Jimmy Chin is pretty much the most fascinating fellow walking. He hikes, climbs, skis and, most notably of all, photographs. Now he can add design to that list with this collaboration with Harry's. You can read all about our Harry's love on this post from last year and this special collection is no different. Red, yellow, blue- great shaves and as cool as the man behind them.

Lady Pickwick
1740 (Marquis de Sade), $125
The Parisian born Marquis de Sade is one of the most controversial figures in history, a true libertine that shocked and appalled with his sexy escapades and fantasies. This perfume is inspired by his legacy, with a hazy composition that brings to mind red-panelled rooms, damask curtains pooling in shadow, and threads of incense-like smoke coiling in the shreds of light that slip beneath the door-frame. Liquor and leather, davana sensualis, labdanum, patchouli, and the temptation of dry fig.

Thistle Jones
Icons of Men's Style, $30
Gregory Peck, Steve Mcqueen, Yves Saint Laurent, and even John Wayne. If your gentleman is a dapper dress, he will appreciate looking through this book and learning about the trailblazers that made monk shoes and tailored trousers a reality and the perfect simplicity of a white t-shirt and denim a universally acknowledged fact of rogue-ish style.

Mr. Pickwick
Penhaligon's "Lothair", $160
This choice was so clear for Mr. Pickwick that there wasn't even any debate. He hopes Lady Pickwick looks at this list (hello, darling). Penhaligon's of London presents this spectacular fragrance, inspired by the tea ships of yore. How very Portsmouth! This is the object of our obsession at Pickwick's right now, with something for everyone in its many layers. The heart of smoked black tea and fig milk, base of cedar wood, and top notes of grapefruit, salt, and juniper, build the ship before your eyes. There, the deck and there, the cargo- exotic blends of tea and citrus from distant islands, cutting the headiness of wood and its varnish. You will both be transported whenever he wears it.

Admiral Baileywick Candybuttons
Woodford Reserve Spiced Cherry Bitters, $
Baileywick suggests that, while he tries to surprise you with dinner, you surprise him with a Manhattan like never before. These spiced cherry bitters from Woodford Reserve are a favorite among mixology connoisseurs and, topped off with Woodford's equally astounding bourbon cherries? Served next to that rack of lamb you absolutely weren't expecting? Oh yes. You are a good team.

This holiday is all about love so, from everyone here at Pickwick's, we hope you see it from all directions in the next couple of weeks. Love your friends, love your lovers, and love yourself, because you deserve every ounce that comes your way. Happy Valentine's Day!

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