From smoky rum to zingy orange bitters, these boozy perfumes offer warmth and elegance with every spritz - while evoking a sense of nostalgia for your signature tipple...
While the classic olfactory families will always claim spots among the best long-lasting perfumes, we're seeing a rise in demand for unusual scents that boast a cocktail of niche notes, like fig or strawberry. Speaking of cocktails, one genre of fragrance we're seeing grow - both demand and availability - are scents of the boozy persuasion, with blends centring around ingredients from your favourite drinks. Be it an espresso martini or a glass of champagne, there's a plethora of alcohol-scented perfume, all of which offer familiarity, warmth and sophistication to their wearer.
So, if you want to smell as if you're sitting in a jazz club, dressed to the nines and sipping an old-fashioned, or perhaps like you're curled up by the fire, a glass of red in hand, these are the boozy and cocktail-inspired perfumes to invest in...
6 sophisticated boozy perfumes to try
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While musky perfumes and wood blends are often the go-to for autumn/winter spritzing, this boozy genre of scents offers just as much warmth and character - but with a slightly more vintage and matured feel...(see what we did there?)
RRP: from £60 for 30ml | Notes: pink pepper, neroli oil, lemon, claryage oil, rum absolute, Grasse rose, vanilla bean and tobacco leaf absolute
This perfume truly bottles up the scent of a jazz club but in a very chic way. It's smoky and a tad heady upon first spray but this swiftly dissipates and melts into the skin revealing those sweet notes of vanilla bean and warming pink pepper with just a touch of musky tobacco. It's a lovely unisex scent (not to mention being the epitome of a cosy perfume) and is touted as one of the best Maison Margiela Replica perfumes.
RRP: £92 for 80ml | Notes: nectarine, lychee, rose, violet and patchouli
Reminiscent of a chilled glass of champagne, this fruity and floral scent is another sparkling option. It's heady and elegant, ideal for both a long-lasting day and evening scent and is ideal for those who gravitate towards green, citrus blends and powdery florals - over more woody and spicy options.
RRP: from £58 for 30ml | Notes: sweet orange, bitter orange and sandalwood
Designed to smell like the classic wintery cocktail, this festive blend from Jo Malone is zesty, sweet and beautifully warm. It's bright but creamy and definitely evokes the word 'sparkling' - as any cocktail-esque scent should
RRP: from £145 for 50ml | Notes: Champagne, bergamot, juniper, William Pear, ginger, ambrette, musk, oak wood and ambergris
Champagne sparkles to the surface of this scent, affording a fresh and zingy opening alongside the likes of bergamot and juniper. These notes then give way to a richer and muskier base that lingers. It is designed to capture the 'essence of party life' (per Vilhelm's website) and works beautifully as a signature, evening scent.
RRP: £82 for 50ml | Notes: bergamot, plum, anise, leather, rum, vanilla, patchouli, amber and milk
Warm and intoxicatingly spicy, this scent plays on the rich taste of dark rum and seeks to bring a sunny and fruity quality to it. It's musky but simultaneously uplifting, achieved with notes of bergamot, plum and anise layered over a cosy blend of leather, rum, vanilla and amber.
RRP: from £180 for 30ml | Notes: Sour cherry, almond, liquor, rose, jasmine, plum, tonka bean, Peru Balsam, sandalwood, vetiver, cedar, benzoin and cinnamon
If you've ever wanted to smell like a maraschino cherry, now is your chance. This luxe scent from Tom Ford layers sour cherry and rich, creamy almond with a liquor accord, tonka bean and a woody base of sandalwood and cedar. It is equal parts smokey and sweet and affords such a sophisticated impression.
What are boozy perfume notes?
A 'boozy' perfume by its very definition is a scent that smells slightly alcoholic, either because it features notes like champagne, cognac or whiskey accord, or boasts a blend of citrusy, spicy and smokey aromas that, when combined, smell reminiscent of, say, an old-fashioned cocktail.
When looking at a fragrance's olfactory notes, if you see rum or gin featured amongst its heart and base, it's safe to assume that it has a boozy quality to it. Intentionally so, as opposed to that overly alcohol-y smell some fragrances can have, either because of the low quality of their ingredients or having not yet been given time to settle into the skin.
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