Gin & Tonic
Demeter Fragrance Library (1997)

It smells like gin tonic with a lot of lemon, which make it smell like a traditional eau de Cologne... for about 3 minutes. Then it's gone. It's the weakest longevity and sillage I ever had. Weaker than the usual Demeter.

Yes, in the opening blast there is a gin-and-tonic impression quite evident. As G+T goes, is is not very exciting; more the aroma of the rather thin, old and stale Genever, but the tonic has a touch of fizz - fizzed out it is though after about an hour.

I get about an hour of a nonspecific chemical cocktail afterwards, a concoction worthy of a spill on the laboratory floor the day after. The total longevity of two hours is not exactly impressive. The sillage is weak and the projection just adequate.

A him spring scent of a certain pallor and abysmal performance. Not bad but, not much more either. 2.25/5.

I have been searching for a gin & tonic fragrance for quite some time so when I got the oppurtunity to try this one out I couldn't resist. Unfortunately I was disappointed. It did not make me think of the drink and as I waited for the drydown to make it better it vanished. An odd smell and a very poor longevity. Pass.

The maligned Demeter line is like a Cliff's Notes version of niche fragrances: the presentation (bottle and label) is uniform; the price is the same for all fragrances (per size); they are not available everywhere; and they have esoteric contents such as "Dirt", "Snow" and "Mesquite." Relatively speaking they smell like the element they purport to mimic. Finally, they are quite inexpensive which makes them a good primer route to non-designer aromas.

That said, they are not masterpieces and the quality is quite variable. Gin & Tonic is among those I enjoy the most, along with Humidor and Whiskey Tobacco. Longevity is not stellar but not as fleeting as some have experienced (I get about 5 hours at least from the better offerings in the line). The juniper in this one is not unlike that in, say, Guerlain Homme; I paid $2.99 for a 1 oz bottle on clearance so I can't complain about the financial investment. Demeter presents a low-cost, low-risk opportunity to get outside the aquatic/sweet designer box.

Gin and tonic smells startlingly like the real thing complete with the fizz from the tonic. And it gives a sillage that smells like a refreshing citrus / conifer cologne: Great scent – Poor longevity.

Not wearable, but a faithful representation.