The Booze Wars - The Barfly - “The best stories start at the bar.”

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(Malt & Barroom Ethos Bracket)

The Barfly bracket isn’t about what’s in the glass, it’s about what’s in the air. Arguably the most challenging of the Archetypes, these are booze "adjacent" scents. Many don’t list rum, whiskey or gin as explicit accords, but they all share a familiar pull. Smoke clinging to jackets, worn wood soaked with years of spills, stale sweetness, bitterness, warmth and the quiet weight of late nights. These fragrances don’t recreate a drink as much as they recreate the drinking atmosphere: the club, the dive bar, the lounge after last call. If The Drinker is about indulgence and The Barrel is about time, The Barfly is about memory! You’ve been here before, even if you can’t remember how the night ended!

Fragrance mindset:

Grain, malt, smoke, roast, funk and barroom air. These scents feel lived-in and honest. They capture the mood before they chase polish, prioritizing atmosphere over perfection. These are the scents that feel like stories, not statements and live long after the bar closes!

Personality:

●Gritty

●Nostalgic

●Unfiltered

●Unpretentious

Values:

●Character

●Mood

●Fermentation

●Real life over refinement

The Big Question

Is the best barroom fragrance the one that feels authentic… or the one you can actually live with? This bracket isn’t about beer or malt. It’s about real life!

What say you, guys? Love to hear from ya'!

OFFICIAL SEEDING (Presence + Atmosphere)

(1) Maison Martin Margiela Jazz Club

Rum-soaked wood, tobacco smoke and vanilla recreate the unmistakable air of a late-night lounge. Even when the alcohol note fades, the blend of smoke, sweetness and worn woods convincingly gives the impression of drinks absorbed into the room itself. It belongs because it defines what a bar smells like when the night is in full swing.

(2) Amouage Interlude Man

Smoke, incense, spices and darkness create a heavy, aftermath-laden atmosphere. While no direct alcohol accord is listed, the dense resins and smoky warmth combine to evoke the weight and haze left behind after heavy drinking. It earns its place by capturing alcohol’s presence through consequence rather than composition.

(3) Nasomatto Duro

"Crazy Nose" Nasomatto has this leather, woods and animalic grit that, to me, accurately portray the person who lives at the bar more than the bar itself! There’s no explicit alcohol note, but the mix of raw leather, warmth and sweat creates the unmistakable feel of someone steeped in drink-laden nights. It truly belongs here because The Barfly isn’t complete without that... human element!

(4) By Kilian Apple Brandy on the Rocks

I pick up this cold, fruity brandy with this oak and crisp freshness reminiscent of a drink still sitting on the bar, abandoned. This is one of the few fragrances here with an unmistakable alcohol accord anchoring the experience. It earns inclusion by grounding the barfly atmosphere with a literal alcoholic pour!

(5) Mugler A*Men Pure Havane

Honeyed tobacco, sweetness and warmth that feels sticky, worn yet familiar. While alcohol isn’t specifically listed, the syrupy tobacco and aged sweetness combine to suggest this residue of spilled drinks and long nights. I believe it truly belongs because barfly life is often about what lingers, not what’s poured!

(6) Serge Lutens Five o’clock au gingembre

It's always five o'clock somewhere, but in lieu of the Caribbean party that song evokes, Au Gingembre has ginger, tea and this soft spice that evokes a quiet pub rather than a loud one. There’s no direct alcohol note, but its warm, brewed character mimics the comforting presence of a drink in hand and friends gather 'round. It earns its spot by representing the reflective, slower side of bar culture.

(7) By Kilian Smoking Hot

Smoke, heat and sweetness create a stylized late-night lounge vibe. Even without a named alcohol accord, the combination of warmth and smoke suggests cocktails, neon lights and bodies packed into a room. It belongs because some barfly moments are polished, seductive and... intentional!

(8) Kerosene Unknown Pleasures

Fermented sweetness, warmth and comfort feel like the night winding down. There’s no explicit alcohol note, but the yeasty, gourmand profile recalls the aftermath of drinks rather than the drinks themselves. It earns inclusion in The Booze Wars by capturing the emotional comedown (letdown?) after the bar empties. "Closing time...one last call for alcohol, so finish your whiskey or beer..."😉

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