Одеколон: История, традиции и современность

Type of perfume
Eau de Cologne (o d(ə) kɔlɔɲ; German: Kölnisch Wasser ; meaning "Water from Cologne") or simply cologne is a perfume originating from Cologne, Germany. Originally mixed by Johann Maria Farina (Giovanni Maria Farina) in 1709, it has since come to be a generic term for scented formulations in typical concentration of 2–5% and also more depending upon its type of essential oils or a blend of extracts, alcohol, and water. In a base of dilute ethanol (70–90%), eau de cologne contains a mixture of citrus oils, including oils of lemon, orange, tangerine, clementine, bergamot, lime, grapefruit, blood orange, bitter orange, and neroli. It can also contain oils of lavender, rosemary, thyme, oregano, petitgrain (orange leaf), jasmine, olive, oleaster, and tobacco. In contemporary American English usage, the term "cologne" has become a generic term for perfumes marketed toward men. It also may signify a less concentrated, more affordable, version of a popular perfume.

The original Eau de Cologne is a spirit citrus perfume launched in Cologne in 1709 by Giovanni Maria Farina (1685–1766), an Italian perfume maker from Santa Maria Maggiore, Valle Vigezzo. In 1708, Farina wrote to his brother Jean Baptiste: "I have found a fragrance that reminds me of an Italian spring morning, of mountain daffodils and orange blossoms after the rain". He named his fragrance Eau de Cologne, in honour of his new hometown. The Eau de Cologne created by Farina was used only as a perfume and delivered to "nearly all royal houses in Europe". His ability to produce a constantly homogeneous fragrance consisting of dozens of monoessences was seen as a sensation at the time. A single vial of this aqua mirabilis (Latin for miracle water) cost half the annual salary of a civil servant. By drinking the cologne, the citrus oil scent would exude through the pores, repelling fleas. Many flea shampoos for dogs are based on citrus oils today. In modern times, eau de Cologne or "cologne" has become a generic term. The term "cologne" can be applied to perfume for men or women, but in American English, usage typically refers to perfumes marketed toward men.

After the fame of the cologne became widespread, Farina's cologne was brought to the Ottoman Empire during the reign of Abdülhamid II. It was common to offer rose water to guests in the Ottoman Empire at that time, but the tradition of offering cologne began after it became popular there. In 1882, the first local cologne was produced in the Ottoman Empire by Ahmet Faruk. Eau de Cologne, which is called odikolon by the people, has taken the name of cologne over time. Even after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the habit of cologne did not end in Turkey. On the contrary, it became a culture that was passed on from generation to generation. Currently, in most houses in Turkey, cologne is offered to guests every time they visit.

Yevgeny Yevtushenko's poem, About Drinking, describes the author coming back from a whaling voyage and arriving at a small town where the local store is out of liquor and, as a substitute, they use a case of Eau de Cologne to drink.