In celebration of London Cocktail Week (4th-13th October), The London Essence Company will launch The Essence House, an interactive space that will take guests on a “journey of discovery to understand their individual palate profile”.
Taking place from 3rd – 5th October, The Essence House experience will showcase a unique, hands-on experience curated by Dr. Rachel Edwards-Stuart – one of only a few experts dedicated to the science of gastronomy and flavour perception in the UK.
Here, a series of interactive taste and aroma tests will help identify each individual’s palate profile, explore how nature and nurture play a part in the flavours that they like and dislike, and help to enhance their drinking experiences through the understanding of their taste preferences, resulting in a selection of cocktail combinations uniquely crafted by a selection of world-renowned bartenders. Participating bartenders will include the likes of Liana Oster, Head Bartender at Dante, New York; Lorenzo Antinori, Director of Bars at the Four Seasons Hong Kong, and Maxim Schulte, Head Bartender at The American Bar at The Savoy, who will be creating a selection of inventive and light London Essence cocktails, each containing fewer than 150 calories.
Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options will be available, pairing London Essence’s distilled botanicals and purest flavours with spirits such as Ketel One Botanical, Johnnie Walker, and the pioneering non-alcoholic ‘spirit’ Seedlip, each topped with garnishes grown on site in hi-tech ‘Evogrow’ plant growing systems. Guests will also be given the opportunity to experiment with London Essence’s tonics, gingers and sodas as they create their own individual cocktail at a self-serve bar stocked with a range of luxury drinks such as Tanqueray No. TEN and Belsazar Rose Vermouth.
On the opening of The Essence House, Dr Rachel Edwards-Stuart said: “The perception of taste is something which is so unique to every individual and it’s fascinating to see how flavour perception differs between individuals. The combination of the make-up of our taste buds, our own personal life experiences and external sensory factors can all affect how we respond to taste in food and drinks and this experience has been designed to explore our taste perception in a personalised way. The Essence House will offer guests a one-of-a-kind discovery into their individual palate profile, leaving them with an understanding of their preferences and sensitivities…and of course a bespoke London Essence cocktail to enjoy afterwards!”
Ounal Bailey, Co-Founder of The London Essence Company, added: “At London Essence, we’re fascinated by flavour; we select the finest botanicals and gently distil them to capture their true essence, creating drinks which are layered with the purest, most complex flavours.
“When it came to developing The Essence House, we wanted to share our appreciation for flavour with visitors. The unique palate profiling experience will explore drinkers’ relationships with taste and aroma to help them understand their likes and dislikes. Hopefully it will encourage them to open their minds (and palates) and explore flavour combinations that they may not have considered before.”
Tickets to The Essence House will be available for £10, which provides entry to the event, a personalised palate profiling experience, and two cocktails. Further details can be found here.
