Vapoura, the super-premium English rum, has launched After Stories, a cultural collaboration series pairing the brand with venues to produce exclusive vinyl EPs and bespoke cocktail menus. London’s The Mandrake hotel is the first partner, marking Volume 1 of the ongoing series.
Each edition centers on a six-track vinyl EP, pressed by The Vinyl Factory and produced exclusively for the collaboration. Every original track is inspired by a different space within the hotel. The EP is also available to stream online across major music platforms.
Alongside the music, a bespoke Vapoura cocktail menu developed with the venue runs across the bar for a limited window.
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READ THE STORYA limited run of vinyl accompanies each partnership. One copy is permanently framed within the venue, while a select number are released for purchase through vapourarum.com.
For the Mandrake edition, Vapoura worked with two producers. CARALUS is a Manchester-based producer known for deep organic groove and percussive tech. Daniel Sehnawi fuses underground electronic music with Middle Eastern influence. Between them, the pair have played at venues including The Outernet London, Hi Ibiza, Phonox, and Scorpios Mykonos.
Each track takes its cue from a different corner of the hotel. Portal opens on the city outside, Waeska captures the room’s balance of darkness and euphoria, Jurema draws on the terrace’s seclusion, and Mashahari brings rolling basslines to the underground theater.
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Olly Barkley, who co-founded Vapoura with author and broadcaster Ed Jackson, said: “We never wanted to be just a rum brand. We wanted to build a world around the liquid.”
“Vapoura was created to punctuate a moment and Ed and I always attached music to those moments as the final ingredient. After Stories is about celebrating that,” Barkley added. “The Mandrake was a natural first partner. Few London venues are built with such distinct spaces.”
The Mandrake cocktail program runs throughout the summer. Vapoura’s Chapter One and Chapter Two expressions are available across all the hotel’s bars for the duration.
Three bespoke cocktails feature on the menu: Angel Sage, Sacred Bean, and Velvet Cocoon.
The vinyl is priced at £25, or £110 with two full-sized bottles.
