The Flavour of Fashion - Liquid Intelligence - The Cocktail Lovers
This piece was originally created for The Cocktail Lovers fashion issue, where the brief was to explore the unexpected crossover between what we wear and what we drink. Fashion and mixology have always shared a certain swagger in popular culture, but the question was: can textiles themselves inspire flavour? That led me down a rabbit hole of linen, wool, leather and bamboo — all organic, all loaded with their own aromas, textures and chemistry. The article unpacks how these materials can shape cocktails through fat-washing, flavour extraction, lanolin notes, leather ageing, and bamboo infusions, then applies those ideas to twisted classics. If you’re into sensory mixology, flavour theory, and boundary-pushing techniques that nod to the world of fashion, this one hits that sweet spot.
The Flavour of Fashion
Fashion and mixology go hand in hand in popular culture, but have you ever wondered what fashion actually tastes like? If we disregard synthetic fabrics, textiles are derived from organic sources with their own unique flavour profile, linen, wool, cotton, leather, bamboo and silk all come from plant or animal materials and can bring textural qualities to drinks. Let's break some of these down, explore their uses and then apply them to some twisted classic cocktails
Linen is made from the flax plant, the very same plant we get flaxseed or linseed oil from. flaxseed oil, derived from flaxseeds, has a distinctive taste that can be described as nutty, slightly earthy, and sometimes with a hint of sweetness. It's important to note that flaxseed oil can turn rancid relatively quickly due to its high unsaturated fat content, so freshness is key to experiencing its best flavor.
In cocktail applications the nutty quality can add richness and depth of flavour, I would suggest a fat washing technique to enhance texture of spirits, or using it as an infused finishing garnish
From wool can extract Lanolin, a natural substance making up between 5 - 25% the weight of sheep's wool, and it is commonly used in various skincare and cosmetic products. While lanolin itself is not typically consumed directly as a food or drink ingredient, it does have a distinct taste and smell. The taste of lanolin is often described as slightly waxy, oily, and faintly like the smell of sheep's wool. It can have a mild, characteristic flavor that is not particularly strong or overpowering. In the context of wine, the term "lanolin" is sometimes used to describe a certain flavor note in wines, especially those made from Semillon grapes, where the influence of lanolin is associated with a slightly waxy or oily texture and a subtle earthiness.
When using lanolin in a culinary context or in mixology, it's crucial to ensure that the lanolin used is food-grade and safe for consumption. Again the best form of extraction here is fat washing your base spirit.
The use of leather for storing wine has historical roots, dating back centuries. Leather wineskins, also known as bota bags or wine bags, have been utilized as portable and practical vessels for carrying and storing liquids. Leather is tanned using tannins from trees, sealed with either beeswax, pine or juniper resin and then made ready hold liquid. This will slowly impart flavour to the liquid stored inside
Bamboo creates some of the softest fabrics out there and is incredibly sustainable. Bamboo has also been consumed for centuries. Predominantly the young, and tender bamboo shoots are eaten freshly stir fried or pickled and lend a mineral, subtle flavour and crunchy texture. Recently bamboo extract from the leaves is being utilised to flavour bamboo water which is floral and fragrant
To have some fun with this, lets take some classic cocktails related to these fabrics and combine them
FRESH LINEN COCKTAIL - with flaxseed
45ml London Dry Gin fat washed with flaxseed oil*
15ml St Germain
6 Slices cucumber
15ml Lime juice
60ml Soda
Muddle the cucumber in a shaker, add the gin, liqueur and lime juice, shake with ice and strain into a highball glass with more ice. Top with a splash of soda. Garnish with cucumber slice.
*into a mason jar add 100g of organic, cold pressed flaxseed oil and 700ml of London Dry Gin and seal, shake every hour for 4 hours and then place in the freezer. Once the oil has solidified, pass liquid through a coffee filter.
TUXEDO NO. 1 - with lanolin
45ml London Dry Gin fat washed with food grade lanolin*
45ml Dry vermouth
2 dashes of Absinthe
Stir over ice and serve up in a frozen martini glass with a lemon twist
*into a mason jar add 50g of food grade lanolin and 700ml of London Dry Gin and seal, shake every hour for 24 hours and then place in the freezer. Once the oil has solidified, pass liquid through a coffee filter.
LEATHERNECK COCKTAIL - with Juniper resin leather
60ml Rye Whiskey - aged in a bota bag*
10ml simple syrup
10ml blue curacao
15ml fresh lime juice
Shake and strain cocktail into a chilled coupe, finish with some orange peel
*in a new bota bag (ensure that you purchase one seasoned with juniper resin and not made from latex) Add your rye whiskey and age for between 24 hours and 1 week. Taste daily and remove when ready. If you over age, just cut back with unaged Rye.
BAMBOO COCKTAIL - with bamboo extract
45ml Fino sherry
25ml white vermouth
20ml dry vermouth
2 dashes orange bitters
Garnish with an orange coin
Add 25ml of Bamboo water* and chill in the fridge. To drink just pour into a frozen nick and nora glass and finish with some orange peel. For easy scaling multiply the recipe by 5.
To make bamboo water cold brew 50g of bamboo leaf tea to 250g water for 24 hours then filter out.
Fashion and cocktails might seem like different worlds, but once you start looking at texture, origin and craft, the parallels jump out. Textiles carry stories in the same way spirits do, and when you pull those stories into the glass you get drinks that feel fresh, expressive and a little mischievous. Whether it’s the nutty lift of flaxseed, the waxy richness of lanolin, the tannic depth of leather or the bright minerality of bamboo, these materials remind us that flavour doesn’t have to follow the usual path. There’s a whole universe of inspiration sitting outside the traditional pantry — sometimes hanging in your wardrobe — and it’s worth exploring where it can take your cocktails next.