There are a select—yet important—few elements that must be well-balanced in order for an individual to truly appreciate a great piece of art: the form must be interesting, the context understood, the composition engaging. I see the framework of a great evening similarly. So too must México City-based artisanal gin brand, Condesa Gin. On a balmy Saturday in mid-August, the light was waning on the rooftop of Santa Monica Proper Hotel, and an intimate crowd of creatives gathered in a private dining area in the Proper’s rooftop restaurant, Calabra, to appreciate delicate food, well-crafted gin beverages, interesting conversation, and stimulating house music as part of the hotel’s seasonal Sunset Sessions. Condesa Gin, like any good disciple of life’s finer things, knows how to celebrate the art of the evening.

Sat around a sumptuous table in the woody room, guests of the brand were treated to a pre-meal saging by Condesa Brand Ambassador Anny Barrera (who flew in from Guadalajara for the occasion), before indulging in a luscious pescatarian tasting menu designed by Loreto Restaurant’s Head Chef Paco Moran accompanied by rounds of gin-infused cocktails presented by Barrera.

The locus of a great evening, or a great work of art, lies in its inability to be distilled, or its difficulty to become accustomed to: the beauty, on this particularly warm August evening, was in the surprise of Moran’s tangy, garlicky Kanpachi; in a succulent clam dish; in a branzino in lobster sauce; in the delight of Barrera's bespoke cocktails, using Condesa’s Gin Clásica and the Pricky Pear and Orange Blossom. And, of course, made all the more beautiful by a jovial atmosphere. As the darkness enveloped and the meal concluded, the satiated crowd migrated to the roof, where themselves and a select throng of other guests enjoyed a rooftop DJ set by Jean-Philip Grobler of St. Lucia.

An evening is ephemeral, but, as curator New Ground Agency, or Condesa’s Anny Barrera, or Loreto’s Paco Moran, may see it: hours spent sipping great alcohol in good company are as artistically concrete as any other work worth engaging with.