To paraphrase an old adage, "behind every great building is a great architect." According to Swiss-based Kosmos Architects, a less familiar version of this might say "beside every great building is a perfectly mixed cocktail." The firm has revealed a scientifically (un)proven link between alcohol and architecture: ramps, for instance, are often built at an inclination of five to seven degrees, a statistic that correlates to the alcoholic percentage of an average beer. Furthermore, a steep forty-degree roof incline designed to throw off snowfall matches the forty percent alcohol content of vodka used in Arctic climates to keep out the winter chill.
Kosmos Architects has published a series of twelve illustrated postcards, linking iconic buildings with their appropriate drink. A Manhattan for Mies, a Blue Blazer for Zumthor, and a Smoky Martini for Herzog & de Meuron all belong to the series 'Good Drinks & Good Buildings,' a booze-soaked comparison of architecture and alcohol, just in time to ring in 2015.
What's inside SOM's martini? Find out after the break
Bruder Klaus Field Chapel by Peter Zumthor / Blue Blazer Cocktail
Inspired by the unorthodox fire-based construction of Peter Zumthor's Bruder Klaus Chapel, the Blue Blazer Cocktail must be set aflame before drinking from a silver plated vessel.
Ricola Herb Centre by Herzog & de Meuron / Smoky Martini
Mixed with Laphroaig whiskey and gin from the peat covered Scottish highlands, the Smoky Martini pays homage to a building made of locally sourced rammed earth.
T House by Simon Ungers / Rusty Nail
Clad in weathered steel, the startling design of T House contrasts the calm surrounds of northeastern New York, perfectly harmonizing with the Rusty Nail's scotch and drambuie combination.
Pilgrimage Church by Gottfried Böhm / Dark and Stormy
The melancholic architecture of Böhm's brutalist masterpiece is the perfect partner for the ginger beer, dark rum, and lime juice of Dark and Stormy, served in an aged glass over ice.
Casa das Histórias Paula Rego by Eduardo Souto de Moura / Blood and Sand
Portugal's modern concrete pyramids recall ancient times and rudimentary techniques, a natural pairing for a biting cocktail with whiskey, brandy, vermouth, and a hint of orange.
USADA Cadet Chapel by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill / Aviation
The iconic modernist sails of SOM's cadet chapel echo the clean lines of Aviation, a minimalist cocktail comprised of gin, maraschino liqueur, lemon juice, and garnished by a single maraschino cherry.
Leutschenbach School by Christian Kerez / B52
An elaborate layered cocktail of coffee liqueur, Irish cream, and grand marnier, the B52 mirrors the stacked design of the school through a clever combination of varying densities and shades of alcohol.
Pyramid of Djoser / Corpse Reviver #2
Billed as the ultimate hangover cure, Corpse Reviver #2 pays homage to Pharaoh Djoser of Egypt through the ancient combination of gin, lillet blanc, lime juice, cointreau, and absinthe.
Seagram Building by Mies van der Rohe / Manhattan Cocktail
It was only fitting to pair New York City's infamous cocktail with van der Rohe's iconic Seagram Building, featuring a dash of modernism, some sweet vermouth, whiskey, bitters, and a cherry with a twist of orange zest.
Crystal Palace by Sir Joseph Paxton / Old Fashioned
Enter the world of the industrial revolution under the plate glass and cast iron roofs of Paxton's sprawling Crystal Palace, and sip on an Old Fashioned featuring a cube of sugar, bitters, and whiskey, mixed over ice in an appropriately old glass garnished with a lemon peel.
Villa Malaparte by Adalberto Libera and Curzio Malaparte / Negroni
Picture yourself on the island of Capri on Italy's southern coast sipping on a Negroni, one of the nation's famous aperitifs. The two are both pink, Italian, and on the rocks, but only one features a delectable combination of gin, campari, and vermouth with club soda.
Palais Bulles by Antti Lovag / Bellini
Immerse yourself in the glamour of Cannes with a Bellini on the Mediterranean, featuring a bit of bubbly mixed perfectly with peach puree, served in a champagne flute. An ideal location to relax, the orange bubbly architecture of Palais Bulles perfectly mimics the Bellini.
Kosmos Architects is a Swiss-based firm with offices in New York and Moscow. Read more about their previous work featured on ArchDaily, here.
