The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Daiquiri Original was created by Hez Binkowitz and released in 2023 as a tribute to New Orleans daiquiri shops. Binkowitz described the fragrance as an attempt to capture the aroma of the 190 Octane drink and the atmosphere surrounding the city's drive-through daiquiri counters. The concept translates the freedom and easygoing spirit of New Orleans into scent. Its fruit, citrus, floral, rum, cognac, gin, musk, and sandalwood structure follows that idea closely, balancing vivid orange and blueberry with orange blossom before moving into rum, cognac, gin, musk, and Mysore sandalwood.
The composition is built around a varied contrast between fruit, citrus, floral, and warm woody notes. Blueberry and orange establish a clear fruity profile, while orange blossom adds a white floral accent. Cognac, gin, and rum introduce darker alcoholic notes that give the fragrance greater complexity. Mysore sandalwood and musk form the base, adding smooth woods and a subtle musky character beneath the brighter fruit and floral elements. Together, the notes create a layered composition that shifts from vivid citrus and fruit to rum, cognac, gin, sandalwood, and musk.
The evolution
The opening lands with orange zest and blueberry, bright and immediately fruity, while orange blossom gives it a clean white floral lift. As those notes recede, the heart takes over with rum, cognac, and gin, forming the more substantial middle phase of the composition. During the drydown, musk and Mysore sandalwood complete the progression with a soft musky quality and smooth woody depth. The orange and blueberry notes provide the clearest fruit impression, balanced by orange blossom at the start and complemented by rum, cognac, and gin through the center. Mysore sandalwood and musk complete the composition with a warm, polished base and a gently boozy impression.
Cultural impact
Daiquiri Original draws inspiration from the city's drive-through daiquiri shops and the freedom associated with kicking off an evening there. While Bourbon Street addresses the spectacle of the French Quarter, this release looks toward a different expression of New Orleans. Its combination of orange, blueberry, orange blossom, rum, cognac, gin, musk, and Mysore sandalwood translates the daiquiri-shop theme into a distinctive fragrance composition.
The House
Hez ParfumsHez Parfums is an artisan fragrance house based in New Orleans, Louisiana, founded by perfumer Hez Binkowitz. The brand creates scents that draw inspiration from the city, translating its neighborhoods, streets, and cultural moments into wearable compositions. Binkowitz grew up in New Orleans and draws on personal experience as the foundation for each fragrance. The collection includes neighborhood tributes like Jackson Square and Bourbon Street, food-inspired scents such as Café Beignet and Banana Bread Banshee, and Hurricane, which references the city's resilience. As of 2025, the house has released over a dozen fragrances, each named after a distinct aspect of New Orleans life.
The Creator
Hez BinkowitzBinkowitz gravitates toward natural materials, using their inherent complexity as his primary medium. His compositions tend toward rich, layered structures that reveal different facets over time, inviting wearers to discover something new with each encounter.
