Sandra‘s Closet

Yesterday in London was one of those days that remind me why I love this city so much.

TABAYER

Two invitations, both about jewelry, both in the hands of houses that understand beauty as something more than surface. First, lunch at Hide in Mayfair with Tabayer hosted by The Floorr.

With the loveliest hosts Lupe Puerta (The Floorr) and Nyree Tanielian

Founded in 2021 by Nigora Tokhtabayeva, it is one of the most quietly compelling jewelry brands to emerge in recent years. Each piece is rooted in the ancient symbolism of protection, reinterpreted through a modernist, sculptural lens and crafted in Italy using Fairmined certified gold and ethically sourced diamonds. The signature Oera collection draws on Inanna’s Knot, a Mesopotamian symbol of fertility and guardianship, distilled into forms that feel both elemental and entirely of the moment. Jewelry that carries weight, in the most beautiful sense of the word.

With my dear friend Lupe Puerta, founder of The Floorr.

With my dear friend Anouschka who flew in from Frankfurt for the occasion.

BVLGARI

Lupe and I on the steps of the Bvlgari store on New Bond Street.

Later in the evening, I headed to Bvlgari for a truly special night filled with champagne, whisky tasting, and inspiring conversations. The event celebrated the latest creations presented during Watches and Wonders, including the stunning new Bvlgari Octo Finissimo timepiece, which once again showcased the brand’s incredible innovation and elegance.

With Catherine Eberle-Devaux, Bvlgari Watch Communication Director, and Dr. Bill Lumsden, who heads up Glenmorangie’s innovations and has been with the company for more than 25 years. I had met him before at an event in Zurich and it was lovely to see him again.

But beyond the jewelry and watches, evenings like these are always about something even more meaningful to me,  reconnecting with friends in London, sharing conversations, exchanging ideas, and simply enjoying the atmosphere of being surrounded by beautiful things and inspiring people.

With lovely Akram from the Bvlgari London team. We have been knowing each other from Valentino.

It was one of those rare days that felt effortless from beginning to end, and I went to bed feeling genuinely grateful.

LoL, Sandra

With fashion designer Olga Vilshenko.

Beautiful Bvlgari handbags designed by Mary Katrantzou.

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
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In the end of October I was invited to the Dolder to discover to indulge in a tale of winter. It was a cozy evening that started with cocktails on the terrace of the beautiful suite, followed by a wonderful conversation in front of the fireplace.

With Dr. Bill Lumsden at the Dolder

Dr. Bill Lumsden, who heads up Glenmorangie’s innovations and has been with the company for more than 25 years, gave us an insight into the world of whisky. He is a true icon with an amazing and truly captivating Scottish accent. His favourite phrase is «What if?». With a PhD in biochemistry and decades of experience, Dr Bill has all the skills needed to bring these ideas to life. He features in the Icons of Whisky Hall of Fame and has won the International Whisky Competition’s award for Master Distiller of the Year more times than anyone else.

This year, Dr. Bill has challenged himself and his team once more to take whatever captures their imaginations and turn it into whisky.  Inspired by the coziness of a winter jumper, the whisky experts will release Glenmorangie A Tale of Winter next month, a 13-year-old single malt with notes of fruit, honey, cocoa dust and spice, designed for crafting fireside drinks.

So when Dr. Bill Lumsden found himself snowed in at home, wearing his most colourful winter knit, he began to wonder «What if?». He started imagining a whisky that would capture the feeling of being wrapped up indoors, enveloped in a snug winter jumper, while outside was thick with snow.

With this wintry whisky in mind, Dr Bill took a parcel of Glenmorangie mellowed in bourbon casks and finished it in casks which once held Sicily’s fortified Marsala wine – loved for its sweet and fruity flavours. Glenmorangie A Tale of Winter is part Christmas cake, part Highland hip flask. The limited edition whisky has notes and aromas of fruit, honey and Brazil-nut toffee, knitted together with cinnamon, ginger and clove. The whisky was crafted in stills ‘as tall as a giraffe’ to allow more space for taste and aroma. Then they age it in the finest casks, all to bring joy to whisky lovers old and new.

Dr Bill said: «We all know the delight of snuggling up in a winter jumper by the fire, when it’s snowy outside. With flavours as bright and vivid as my favourite woollen sweater, Glenmorangie A Tale of Winter deliciously captures those magical, cosy moments. The experience begins with light flurries of fruit and honey, building to torrents of cocoa dust, flakes of red pepper and chunks of Brazil-nut toffee. It culminates in a feels-like-forever finish that swirls with cinnamon, ginger and clove.»

What’s more, Glenmorangie has created a series of six hot and cold wintry drinks for whisky fans easy to make at home, using the new pour, and other whiskies from the brand’s portfolio. These include a Winter Old Fashioned, a bold and velvety Quinta Ruban Hot Chocolate, and a Pumpkin Scotch Latte. The recipes can be found below:

WINTER APPLE TODAY (hot)
INGREDIENTS:
50ml X by Glenmorangie Whisky
75ml apple juice naturally cloudy
25ml squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
Cinnamon sugar
METHOD
Gently heat all ingredients, except the whisky, in a saucepan, do not allow to boil. Moisten the rim of a heatproof glass cup and dip it in cinnamon sugar in reverse, then fill it with the hot applelemon juice. Then add the Glenmorangie X and stir. Garnish: orange zest (peel) in strips.

FIRESIDE MULE (hot)
INGREDIENTS
50ml Glenmorangie Original
125ml Ginger Beer
25ml squeezed lemon juice
25ml apple juice natural
Some sugar, dash of Angostura bitters
METHOD
Gently heat all ingredients in a saucepan, do not allow to boil, then transfer to a heatproof glass cup Garnish: Ginger cookie

WINTER OLD FASHIONED (cold)
INGREDIENTS
50ml X by Glenmorangie
1 tsp Demerara Sugar
3 dashes Bitters
Cinnamon Stick and Orange Twist, to garnish
METHOD
Pour ingredients into an Old Fashioned glass. Stir to dissolve sugar, then fill with cubed ice. Stir to
chill, then garnish with cinnamon stick and orange twist.

MULLED MORANGIE (hot)
INGREDIENTS
30ml Glenmorangie Lasanta
100ml red wine*
50ml press apple juice
Mulling spices (cinnamon stick, cloves, anise, vanilla)**
1 dessert spoon of Demerara sugar
One slice (wheel) of orange
METHOD
Pour ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a simmer on a low heat. Do not allow to boil. Pour into
a heat proof cup or mug.
*Alternatively, buy a pre-made bottle of mulled wine from the grocery store
** Alternatively, add a mulling sachet to your red wine

PUMPKIN SCOTCH LATTE (hot)
INGREDIENTS
50ml Glenmorangie Original
50ml Espresso
50ml ready-made Spiced Pumpkin Syrup
100ml Hot Milk
Whipped Cream and Cinnamon, to garnish
METHOD
Pour ingredients into a reusable coffee cup. Stir, then add whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon.

QUINTA HOT CHOCOLATE (hot)
INGREDIENTS
50ml Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban
50g Dark Chocolate (chopped or broken up)
50ml Double Cream
Pinch of Salt
1 tsp Demerara Sugar (to taste)
Orange Twist and Gingersnaps on side for dipping
METHOD
Pour ingredients into a saucepan and simmer on low heat until chocolate has melted (do not boil).
Serve in a glass mug and place the orange twist on top, with gingersnaps on the side for dipping.

Now winter can come…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht and © Andrea Monica Hug
Responsible Drinking: The Glenmorangie Company advocates responsible drinking and suggests that drinkers savour Glenmorangie whiskies in moderation and in line with recommended daily guidelines for alcohol consumption.