Sometimes discovering a fragrance starts with a word. Or a typeface. That’s how I first noticed New York-based perfume house DS & Durga. The font, the layout, the name — it looked different. Sharp, minimal, slightly mysterious. The kind of object you want to pick up, turn around, and ask: what will the fragrance evoke? How will this make me feel?
Later, at Skins, I tried Debaser for the first time. So many layers of notes. The brand began in 2007 in a small Bushwick apartment, surrounded by records, books and the energy of DIY Brooklyn. The name DS & Durga is as layered as the fragrances. It blends the initials of David Seth Moltz, the self-taught perfumer behind the brand, with the nickname of his partner Kavi Ahuja Moltz. Durga is also the name of a Hindu goddess known for her power and protective nature. Together, they are a fragrance savant duo.
DS & Durga’a Debaser and Pistachio reimaged as cocktails by Pulitzer’s Bar.
Now introducing a different expression in an unexpected setting. In Amsterdam, Pulitzer’s Bar translates the DS & Durga universe into flavours. The new Alchemy of Scents menu takes a selection of their fragrances, including Debaser and Pistachio, and reimagines them as cocktails.
My favourite? The Debaser cocktail. There’s ripe fig, creamy coconut, and a lightness that feels warm, not sweet — with a hint of floral. It captures a kind of sunset energy. That quiet, golden moment at the end of the day.
All images taken by Vanilla Houwer, courtesy of Pulitzer’s Bar and DS & Durga.
Discover: www.dsanddurga.com | www.pulitzeramsterdam.com
