Excalibur XO
Launching London Cocktail Week 2022
London, 2022: Bompas & Parr created the world’s first super-premium poppers to help launch London Cocktail Week 2022.
The Excalibur XO poppers were launched at Sweeties at The Standard hotel, in an unbridled celebration of queer innovation, public joy, sex positivity and exceptional design – with strict regulatory policies in place to ensure the safety of all participants.
The name – Excalibur XO – references the title of the booklet Raging Sword by Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, published in 1868, an account of his speech to the Congress of German Jurists considered by many to be the first-ever gay rights protest speech.
Aromatic panel discussion
Alongside the launch, a series of displays, drinks and discussions were hosted across London Cocktail Week, including an aromatic panel discussion.
Held in the library lounge at The Standard, the panel explored the history of poppers and its place within queer culture, with panellists including:
- Jonny Woo (host) - performer, curator, writer and co-owner of LGBTQ+ performance pub, The Glory
- Stewart Who? - Stewart wrote the Gold-selling queer techno hit Twisted in 1997
- Ajamu X - A darkroom/fine art photographer and radical sex activist
- John Sizzle - Co-owner of LGBTQ+ performance pub, The Glory
Listen to the discussion here.
Supercharged launch party
A range of specially curated cocktails were conceived in collaboration with mixologists at The Standard, with three bespoke drinks designed to be paired with an optional aromatic of Excalibur XO – for nasal appreciation only.
A poppers sommelier was on hand to guide guests through the Excalibur XO’s tasting & olfactory notes, designed to compliment the carefully curated cocktail menu.
Guests were able to customise their popper bottles at the Pump Up your Poppers Station and reminisce about poppers of the past and add to the ‘Nostril Nostalgia’ infinity scroll.
Bompas & Parr also exhibited a sensational video sequence of archival artworks donated by the Tom of Finland Foundation, which has been dedicated to protecting, preserving, and promoting the erotic arts for over three and a half decades. Adam Zmith and Ajamu X curated additional provocative media works displayed at the event.
Excalibur XO
As the world’s first super premium poppers, Bompas & Parr’s Excalibur XO represents the most potent and artisanal version of the liquid ever released. The product was bottled in hand-blown glass vessels by E&M Glass and was available to buy from the Bompas & Parr shop in an ultra-limited edition, with all profits donated to the Tom of Finland Foundation.
