Project Botanicals by Bombay Sapphire is back! Now in its third year, the pop-up bar and dining event is more interactive than ever. A personal laboratory of sensory ingredients is set up on each table to amp up your cocktail and plate as you wish. Spritz a little citrus here, add a drop or two of bitters there, sprinkle your feast with a smattering of another secret ingredient at will.

Though the location has changed to be conveniently riverside by the Yarra, there are still 10 cocktails matched with 10 dishes to try. Each is an ode to one of the botanical ingredients in Bombay Sapphire’s famous gin (you can mix and match if you’re feeling experimental). Chef Tony Twitchett of Taxi Dining Room is in charge of the food; our picks are his sake-washed tuna or the negroni-matched fondue. Local bars Union Electric, Lily Blacks and Gin Palace as well as Taxi itself have each contributed a gin cocktail for the occasion. The ‘Licorice Tea Party’ is sublime.

All senses are covered. DJs Yolanda Be Cool have created a soundtrack to drink gin to. Installation artist Missy (from Ginger and the Ghost) will immerse you in the gin experience. And Melbourne perfumer Samantha Taylor has invented a money can’t buy fragrance inspired by Bombay Sapphire that Project Botanicals guests could win. It smells like the best G&T you’ve ever sipped!

Project Botanicals pops up from the 8th-18th September, Thursday through Sunday at Taxi Riverside, Federation Square. Secure your restaurant tickets here. The bar is open to the public.