15 New Colognes to Try, as Determined by Your Drink Order

Whether you like it with gin or vodka (an eternal debate in our office), a martini is as classic as a cocktail gets. You like a scent that’s polished and elegant and appropriate for any time of year. To our nose, that’s Acqua di Parma’s Colonia. With a burst of fresh citrus up top from lemon, orange, and bergamot; herbs and light florals at the heart; and a base of earthy vetiver, patchouli, and smooth sandalwood, it has all the elements of a classic cologne.Fragrance FamilyCitrusNotesLemon, sweet orange, Calabrian bergamot, lavender, rose, verbena, rosemary, vetiver, sandalwood, patchouliSizes1.7 oz, 3.4 oz, 6.08 ozThis one takes things literally. This cologne by Kilian is inspired by—you guessed it—an old-fashioned. It’s a woody, spicy scent with top notes of wheat absolute, whiskey, and davana oil, (which give it a super realistic old-fashioned aroma), and a bittersweet honeyed, woody dry down.Fragrance FamilyWoody, spicyNotesWheat, davana, cedarwood, everlasting absolute, styrax absolute, tolu balmSizes0.24 oz, 1.7 oz, 3.4 ozAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowA little sweet, a little spicy, and effortlessly confident, Dior’s Sauvage EDP matches the dark sophistication of a negroni. It opens with bittersweet citrus like a twisted orange peel, then reveals spicy Sichuan pepper and a rich heart of spices over a smooth base of vanilla.Fragrance FamilyCitrus, woody, earthyNotesCalabrian bergamot, Sichuan pepper, lavender, star anise, nutmeg, ambroxan, Papua New Guinean vanillaSizes1 oz, 2 oz, 3.4 oz, 6.8 oz, 10 oz, 16.91 ozNothing gives you an icy kick quite like a Moscow mule. YSL’s L’Homme EDT feels fresh like a freezing copper mug and includes the drink’s two most important components: spicy ginger and juicy citrus. You get all of that right at the top with notes of bergamot, ginger, and lemon, and an herbal and spicy heart adds some delicious intrigue. The base smooths out the initial spicy kick with cedarwood and tonka bean.Fragrance FamilyWoody, fresh, citrusNotesBergamot, ginger, lemon, white pepper, basil, spices, violet leaf, Haitian/Tahitian vetiver, cedarwood, tonka beanSizes2 oz, 3.3 oz, 6.7 ozAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowFresh, and slightly earthy, this CDG cologne opens with the two main ingredients in a mojito: mint and lime. Specifically, it has top notes of nanah mint (used in Moroccan mint tea) and fresh lime and juniper berry. It starts to get earthier with basil and jasmine at the heart, and vetiver and cedar take it home at the base.Fragrance FamilyGreenNotesNanah mint, lime, juniper berry, basil, jasmine, mastic, ambrette, vetiver, cedarSizes3.4 ozA Manhattan is rich and sweet and will always come with a cherry garnish. No cherry cologne is quite as rich as Tom Ford’s Cherry Smoke. It’s not for those who want something subtle and clean—but if you’re looking for something dark that plays with sweet and smoky notes for a bold, sexy scent, this is it.Fragrance FamilyWoody, fruity, spicyNotesDark cherry flavor accord, smoked wood accord, olibanum, Somalia orpur, Peru balsam resinoid, osmanthus absolute China orpur, Cypriol India orpurSizes1 oz, 1.7 ozAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowSweet, rich, and minty, Imaginary Authors’ Saint Julep fragrance can only be equated to a mint julep. You get that sweet mint immediately, and then the scent becomes spirit-forward with a heart of bourbon. Tangerine, magnolia, and sugarcube add subtle citrusy, floral, and sweet undertones.Fragrance FamilyFresh, greenNotesSweet mint, tangerine, southern magnolia, bourbon, grisalva, sucarcubeSizes0.07 oz, 0.47 oz, 1.7 ozOne of the sweeter drinks you’ll see us ordering at the bar (without veering into fruity and vanilla) is an amaretto sour. With rich, sweet, almond-flavored amaretto liqueur and a hint of lemon, it’s a drink so delicious it might as well be a dessert. Guerlain’s L’Homme Idéal is one dessert of a fragrance with amaretto accord being the star of the show, underscored by leather, patchouli, and musk.Fragrance FamilyGourmand, woodyNotesAmaretto accord, leather, patchouli, muskSizes3.4 ozAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowLike Kilian’s Old Fashioned fragrance, this one is pretty on the nose. Dossier’s Fresh Margarita & Lime fragrance is exactly that: with juicy top notes of lemon, lime, black currant, and grapefruit, it comes out swinging with bright citrus, then leans into fresh notes of watermelon, spearmint, and marine notes, reminiscent of sipping a flavored margarita by the beach.Fragrance FamilyFresh, citrusNotesLemon, lime, black currant, grapefruit, aldehydes, waterfruits, spearmint, elemi, marine notes, violet leaf, white musksSizes1.7 ozWhen it comes to a warm, cozy, wintry drink, we’re going with a hot toddy. Bourbon and warm spices make for a comforting drink that warms your cockles—and the pair also makes for a delicious, masculine fragrance when mixed with woody oak, as Cremo proves with its Bourbon & Oak EDT spray. And at just $21, it’s around the same price as an actual hot toddy.Fragrance FamilySpicy, woodyNotesDistiller's spices, smoked bourbon, oakSizes3.4 ozAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowYes, we have defended it as the world’s greatest cocktail—gets you where you’re going...fast. Like a good Long Island iced tea, Terre d’Hermès has a lot going on, from citrus and spices to woody and earthy notes, but it comes off fun and bold. It’s definitely a scent people will notice (in a good way).Fragrance FamilyCitrus, woody, earthyNotesOrange, grapefruit, pepper, pelagronium, flint, vetiver, cedar, patchouli, benzoinSizes1.6 oz, 3.3 oz, 6.7 ozYou knew Jazz Club was going to be on this list. The question was which cocktail it made the most sense to pair with. Of all the great whiskey cocktails out there, we’d have to match Jazz Club with a whiskey sour. Sophisticated, strong, a little sweet, and a little smoky, you could just as easily find this cologne in an underground jazz bar as you could find someone drinking a whiskey sour in one.Fragrance FamilySpicy, woodyNotesPink pepper, neroli, rum, tobacco, vanillaSizes0.34 oz, 1 oz, 3.4 ozAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowA bittersweet dessert drink made with vodka, espresso, and creamy coffee liqueur, we might have resisted it at one point, but we’ve come around. Maybe you’ve never thought of coffee as a scent you’d want in your cologne, but this Dolce & Gabbana parfum will make you think otherwise. It’s warm and sensual with a blend of lavender, coffee, and smooth ambery woods.Fragrance FamilyEarthy, woodyNotesLavender, coffee, ambery woodsSizes0.33 oz, 1.6 oz, 3.3 ozOne of our favorite summertime scents, “Vacation” by the sunscreen brand of the same name is basically a piña colada in a fragrance bottle. With sweet coconut water, creamy coconut milk, banana, and pineapple, it’s got all the creamy tropical fruits—and when you add in notes of pool water, literal swimsuit lycra, and sea salt, it’s as beachy as it gets.Fragrance FamilyFreshNotesPetitgrain essence, coconut water, coconut milk, bergamot, solar musk, banana, pineapple, pool water, swimsuit lycra, sea saltSizes0.34 oz, 1 ozAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowLast but certainly not least, we have a personal favorite of mine (and a pretty popular choice here at Esquire), the porn star martini. Once you get past the slightly embarrassing name, you get a sweet, tart blend of passion fruit, vanilla, and bubbles (if you mix the prosecco shot in with it). One of my favorite scents from Noteworthy Fragrances happens to have both passion fruit and vanilla notes, which I seriously cannot get enough of.Fragrance FamilyGourmandNotesPassionfruit, tonka bean, patchouli, coffee, vanillaSizes0.27 oz, 1.7 oz, 3.4 oz