FIRST JOURNEYS - A RACE AROUND THE WORLD 2020 - PIN 10 OF 23
PERFUME TREES GIN, Hong Kong
AROUND THE WORLD, ONE BOTTLE AT A TIME.
PHILEAS FOGG WOULD SURELY APPROVE
Day 6...stop 1
My virtual tour has landed me in Hong Kong today and I’m sipping a cocktail made with the award-winning Perfume Trees Gin.
This is a gin created by Kit and Joseph to represent and capture the heart and soul of Hong Kong. They have worked with local farmers and suppliers to understand the terroir and aromas that make up the city they love and live in, and used them to create this beautifully aromatic gin.
Their heritage botanicals pay tribute to small local producers and family businesses based in Hong Kong. These time-honoured vendors have generations of knowledge and produce botanicals which are aromatic and consistent, making Perfume Trees such a unique gin.
The white champaca tree, or Perfume Tree as it’s locally known, used to line the streets of the city. The flowers were sold by elderly street vendors, and this gin pays homage to these ladies and the generations that came before them.
Hong Kong also owes its name to another botanical included in the gin — sandalwood — as it translates quite literally to ‘Fragrance Harbour’. The city has a long history as a port trading in spices and fragrances from all around the world. Sandalwood from India is included as a botanical, sourced from a local business that has been trading for over a century. Likewise, other signature ingredients such as aged tangerine peel and Long Jing tea are sourced from established and traditional local businesses.
There are some brief videos on the Perfume Trees website which tell you a little more about the botanicals and the stories behind them, so immerse yourselves and take a virtual tour of the traditional businesses which supply them.
These are the places I want to see and visit when travelling. Yes, it’s nice to sit in a fancy bar or restaurant and admire the view, but for me, backstreet and off-the-beaten-track tourism is the only way to travel.
So, while I sip this beautiful cocktail, which is a sensory delight, I shall close my eyes and dream!
WHITE PERFUME
Recipe from the Perfume Trees website
45ml Perfume Trees Gin
15ml Italicus
10ml simple syrup
15ml lemon juice
1 egg white
Dry shake to emulsify, then add ice and wet shake. Strain and enjoy.
"White Perfume"
"Show me a bottle
and I'll tell you a story."