This year, Project Botanicals pays homage to the worldly origins of Bombay Sapphire’s sustainably sourced vapour-infused botanicals. This unique story comes to life as an interactive sensory adventure, with an immersive audio-visual experience designed by Future Classic artistTa-Ku, culinary surprises by Studio Neon’s Aaron Teece in collaboration with some of Australia’s top cocktail bars including Mjolner, The Barber Shop, Union Electric and Bar Moncur, all tasked with creating exquisite Bombay Sapphire libations.
Project Botanicals tickets are on sale now with nine x two hour sessions between 16h November until Sunday 19th November in Sydney:
Where: 225 Euston Road, Alexandria
Tickets: $40+bf for four food and cocktail tasting experiences, and one signature gin and tonic twist. Additional dishes and cocktails are available for purchase for $14 each.
Session dates and times (note, all sessions are two hours duration):
- Thursday Nov 16th (8pm-10pm)
- Friday Nov 17th (5.30pm-7.30pm)
- Friday Nov 17th (8pm-10pm)
- Saturday Nov 18th (1.30pm-3.30pm)
- Saturday Nov 18th (4.30pm-6.30pm)
- Saturday Nov 18th (7.30pm-9.30pm)
- Sunday Nov 19th (1.30pm-3.30pm)
- Sunday Nov 19th (4.30pm-6.30pm)
- Sunday Nov 19th (7.30pm-9.30pm)
In the 2-hour experience, guests travel through sensory destinations representing Bombay Sapphire botanical locations across the world, tasting four creations conceived by Studio Neon chef Aaron Teece whilst sipping complementing cocktails. Under a verdant grove of trees in Spain, where Bombay Sapphire’s lemon peel is sourced, guests will hand-pick what appear to be lemons from a bed of leaves, to find they are in fact cheesecakes in the form of the fallen fruit alongside a cocktail creation by Mjolner. On the hazy Javanese mountains, where cubeb berry is sourced, peppery botanical fairy floss clouds will be found atop smoky char-grilled chicken to complement a jungle inspired cocktail created by Australia’s best gin bar, The Barber Shop.
As guests wander down the dark ambiance of a Chinese backstreet, dished from a secret hatch in the side of a towering door are tastes of liquorice in Bar Moncur’s Jasmine Bloom cocktail and twisted duck pancakes with liquorice root gel. Finally, guests will travel under the coloured tiled mosaics of Morocco, where coriander seed is sourced giving Bombay Sapphire a bright citrus and warm ginger-like spice. Here a pressed lamb tagine with coriander yoghurt foam awaits amongst the spices of a city souk alongside sun drenched cocktail by Union Electric.
Adding to the immersive atmosphere is a 360 audio-visual composition created by acclaimed Australian musician, creative and producer Ta-Ku, in collaboration with award-winning animator Sam Price, made up of vivid light installations and an original music composition exclusively for Project Botanicals, inspiring a voyage to each botanical location. Working with sonic scientist Jo Byrzynska, Ta-Ku’s composition entwines layers of sound designed to shift perceptions of the palate accenting different tastes and sensations. The installations will also feature individual soundscapes created to enhance and change perceptions of the cocktails.
Ta-ku said of the collaboration, "I've always been fascinated by the intersection of music and visuals to invoke a certain emotion, which you can see in my photography and videography projects at home and whilst travelling. The chance to integrate yet another sensory experience into this with taste was something I jumped at, to create immersive music and visuals as part of the Bombay Sapphire Project Botanicals experience, transporting guests to the ends of the earth.
“As always, I'm also thrilled to be working with talented Perth animator Sam Price, the artist behind my live show visuals and a number of other collaborations we've worked on together” he said.
Bombay Sapphire Brand Ambassador Peter Hollands says “The creativity and imagination brought to this new iteration of the Bombay Sapphire Project Botanicals experience is so exciting and a completely new offering for the Sydney and Melbourne scene. Guests are in for an interactive journey around the world, with sensational cocktails and cuisine that will take you right to the edges of the earth”.
Other botanicals that make up the famous gin include juniper berries from Tuscany, cassia bark from Indo‑China, Angelica from Saxony, Almonds from Spain, Grains of Paradise from West Africa, and Orris from Italy.
