Spray That, Sip This: Lira + The Nightcapper

A lemon-kissed gateway scent and the cocktail that feels like a first date

There’s a moment before the first sip when the room settles in. The lighting softens. The bar hums. Glassware clinks just enough to remind you you’re somewhere you chose to be. And before the drink even hits the table, there’s already something else setting the tone.

Scent.

Welcome to Spray That, Sip This, where I pair fragrance with a drink and give you a little sensory roadmap for your next night out. I’m not a fragrance pro. I’m Team Consumer, your resident Scent Somm, and I’m here for one thing: how it feels. How it fits a moment. How it pairs with a pour.

And for episode one, we’re starting with my gateway into this whole world: Lira.

The scent that started it

I found Xerjoff Casamorati Lira the way you find the best things: accidentally, while chasing a feeling.

On a recent trip home, I wandered into The Scent Room in Larchmont looking for “my special scent.” You know the one, the fragrance that feels like it belongs to you. Something warm and feminine, but not sugary in a cheap way. Something that makes you feel a little luminous.

Then I smelled Lira.

And it was over.

Lira is lemon pound cake amazingness. Bright citrus at the top, creamy sweetness underneath, and that soft golden warmth that lingers like the last bite of dessert when the candle’s almost out. It’s the kind of scent that makes strangers lean in a little closer, not because it’s loud, but because it’s delicious.

The pairing: The Nightcapper at Heritage Kitchen and Cocktails

If Lira is the lemon cake, The Nightcapper is the mood lighting.

For this first pairing, I went to Heritage Kitchen and Cocktails and if you’ve never been, put it on your list. It has all the energy of the perfect first date. The kind where you’re not checking your phone. Where the conversation lands. Where you’re already thinking, I’d come back here.

It’s also an ideal spot to take people visiting. Elevated without being pretentious, sexy without trying too hard, and genuinely welcoming. The vibe is polished but relaxed, like someone who knows they’re attractive and doesn’t need to announce it.

And the food is unreal. Chef Christopher Brugman is doing the kind of cooking that makes you pause mid bite and look up like, wait, what is this? The kind of place where you end up talking about the meal the next day.

Now let’s talk about why The Nightcapper works with Lira.

Why it works

Lira has that spark of lemon up top, bright, fizzy, flirty, but it settles into something creamy, warm, and a little sultry. It’s sweet, but not childish. It’s dessert, but with confidence.

The Nightcapper matches that same rhythm.

It’s a cocktail that feels like a slow exhale. Warm, cozy, dimly lit energy. The kind of drink you order when you want the night to last a little longer. When you’re leaning in. When you’re not ready to call it.

This pairing is first kiss energy. Soft sweetness with a little bite. Bright at the start, deep at the finish. Playful, then intimate.

Wear this, order that

This is the combo for date night when you want to feel magnetic but effortless. It’s also perfect for a meet the friends night when you want to be remembered. Or hosting visitors and giving them a place that feels like a secret you’re letting them in on. Or any evening that starts as “just one drink” and turns into a story.

Spray Lira, step into Heritage, order The Nightcapper, and let the night do what it does.

A quick note, because scent is personal

Just like cocktails, fragrance is personal. What I love might not be your love and that’s the fun of it. Try it on your skin. Let it settle. Let it surprise you. I say this as someone who is absolutely guilty of blind buying.

Most of what I own leans gourmand, but I’m always exploring. If there’s something you think I need in my collection, especially a softer warm gourmand that isn’t super floral, tell me. I love a recommendation.

The vibe recap

Spray: Lira, lemon kissed cake, creamy warmth, linger longer sweetness

Sip: The Nightcapper, cozy, moody, date night depth

Setting: Heritage Kitchen and Cocktails, first date energy, not pretentious, incredible food from Chef Christopher Brugman.

Make it at home: My Nightcapper riff (the way I actually made it)

I made my Nightcapper style riff at home with what I actually had and love. Woodford Reserve (yes, the Costco size, because I’m an Old Fashioned girl), Mr Black, Dillard Banana Liqueur, and a simple coconut sugar syrup. Then I finished it with a lemon peel from my garden. That bright citrus lift on top with the cozy warmth underneath plays so beautifully with Lira, like lemon cake in candlelight.

Ingredients

1 ounce Woodford Reserve bourbon

3/4 ounce cognac

3/4 ounce Kaigan Special Batch Japanese whisky

1/4 ounce Dillard Banana Liqueur

1/4 ounce Mr Black Coffee Liqueur

1/4 ounce coconut sugar syrup

Optional

1 barspoon honey citrus syrup, especially if you want to spotlight Kaigan’s honey citrus finish

2 dashes aromatic bitters or chocolate bitters

Method

1. Chill a rocks glass.

2. Add everything to a mixing glass with plenty of ice.

3. Stir until very cold and silky, about 25 to 35 seconds.

4. Strain over a large cube in your chilled glass.

5. Express an orange peel over the top, then drop it in. Lemon peel if you want it brighter.

Quick coconut sugar syrup

Equal parts coconut sugar and hot water.

Start with 1/2 cup coconut sugar and 1/2 cup hot water, plus a tiny pinch of salt. Stir until dissolved, cool, refrigerate.

Little note from me

Woodford is perfect here. It’s warm, familiar, and it plays so well with banana, coffee, and that oak barrel glow from Kaigan.

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This is where we begin. One spray, one sip, one little ritual that turns a regular night into a moment.