hennessy

The Classicist: Hennessy and Berluti Create the Ultimate Cognac Experience

Filed under: Spirits, Shoes, Men's Style, The Classicist

Famed French cognac maker Hennessy, the world's oldest cognac house, has unveiled a $23,000 limited edition XO Mathusalem bottling in a bespoke leather trunk by famed shoemaker Berluti. The two luxe brands, both part of the LVMH luxury goods empire, teamed up to create the ultimate cognac experience; only 150 pieces will be made most of which will be sold in Asia and Russia. The XO Mathusalem comes in a six liter (1.6 gallon) hand-blown crystal decanter, originally designed for Hennessy by the Marquis de Geoffre in 1947 for Hennessy; each bottle has its edition number engraved upon it. Designed by Olga Berluti (the fourth generation of the Berluti family) every Hennessy Mathusalem by Berluti chest is signed by her. She based her design for the chest on a 400-year-old salt box she had inherited from her parents – a Venetian tradition whereby such boxes are presented to newlyweds who toss the salt over their shoulders for luck.

Etched with engravings and ancient maps, as a symbol of the treasured cognac contained within, the handmade chest features a crocodile-motif clasp and is designed to store a collection of watches or other precious objects and be handed down as an heirloom. "We wanted to create something that will remain beyond the sharing of the cognac," Hennessy chairman and CEO Bernard Peillon said at the chest's recent unveiling in China. "The chest and cognac become something very personal. Once you finish the bottle, you can keep the memory of it. Olga wanted to create something special that tells the story of her growing up in Venice and her family building gondolas. You can say it's a work of art. We like the poetry of it and the romanticism in Berluti's personal story." Each chest takes 70 hours to build and inside each one is a catenella, a wooden element found in Venetian gondolas upon which is carved the gondolier's initials and the boatyard's hallmark. A certificate of ownership accompanies each trunk as well.

Gallery: Hennessy Mathusalem by Berluti

Tags: Berluti, bespoke, brandy, cognac, crystal, decanter, france, Hennessy, leather, LVMH, trunk, Venice

Continue reading “The Classicist: Hennessy and Berluti Create the Ultimate Cognac Experience”

World's Most Valuable Luxury Brands

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Handbags

What is the world's most valuable luxury brand? According to a study released today compiled by market research firm Millward Brown Optimor, the most valuable brand is France's Louis Vuitton with a brand value of nearly $19.8 billion.

Hermes, with a brand value of $8.45 billion, landed in the second spot, followed by Gucci ($7.58 billion), Chanel ($5.54 billion) and Hennessy ($5.36 billion).

Millward Brown used an economic use approach to the valuation, with brand values based on the intrinsic value of the brand derived from its ability to generate demand. The values reflect the sum of all future earnings a brand is forecasted to generate, discounted to present-day value.

"The big takeaway is that brands that focused on heritage are the ones that topped the list," says Lauren Sherman, editor of Fashionista, a fashion news website. "Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Gucci all focused this year on heritage."

According to Sherman, Louis Vuitton's advertising campaigns focused on travel, which ties to its history of being a maker of steamer trunks, while Hermes began to again market their saddles and also sponsored a horse show in Paris, which they haven't done in years. "They are going back to the basics."

Gucci, on the other hand, is focusing on its vintage bags. The company recently formed a partnership with Christie's in which the auction house will provide appraisal services for owners of vintage Gucci leathergoods. "Gucci Collector: Presented by Christie's" provides auction estimates for vintage Gucci items that are of a type and value typically sold at Christie's. The service is provided free of charge.

"Gucci wants to bring back the company from mass luxury which it had become," says Sherman.

Millward Brown used the BrandZ database of its parent company, WPP, which owns several marketing, advertising and public relations firms, among others. BrandZ tracked sales and marketing for more than 1,000 brands over the course of a year to come up with the list.

The brand that saw the most growth on the list this year was Hermes, with an increase of 8%.

Perhaps most surprising about the list this year were the brands that didn't fare well. The brands that are more closely associated with trends and high fashion, such as Prada and Burberry, did not rank high on the list---in fact, Prada was knocked off the top ten list altogether.

Chanel's ranking dropped from where it was a year ago and lost 11% of its brand value. "Chanel will always sell perfume and leather goods which are classic products, but compared to Gucci and Louis Vuitton, they are more associated with high fashion," says Sherman. "Any brand where the runway is more important than the boutique, suffered a bit."

See Fashionista's report to view the rest of the top ten list of the world's most valuable brands.

Tags: Chanel, Christies, Fashionista, fashionista.com, Gucci, hennessy, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Millward Brown

EXCLUSIVE: Cognac King Maurice Hennessy's Ten Essential Luxuries

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, 10 Luxuries

Click above to see Maurice Hennessy's 10 Luxuries

Maurice-Richard Hennessy spent his childhood years in France's famed Cognac region. A direct descendant of the founder of the Hennessy company, he belongs to the eighth generation of the prestigious family that came to France from Ireland in 1765. The cognac gene is firmly established in his DNA, along with his love for the Charente countryside, vine-growing and fine gastronomy. He joined the family firm, now a cornerstone of the LVMH luxury goods empire, in 1975 and was given an in-depth training in all the Hennessy professions, from distillation to bottling, as well as commercial and marketing activities.

He began by traveling for Hennessy and then in 1979 settled in London for five years to work on the promotion of the brand in England and Ireland. At that time he also travelled regularly to the United States and Canada. So it is natural that Monsieur Hennessy, with his famous name, became the incarnation of the brand and its global ambassador. As familiar with the history of the company as he is with cognac, he owns vineyards himself, distilling and selling his eaux-de-vie to the Hennessy firm, and is an expert on all facets of cognac production. In the gallery, Hennessy reveals his 10 essential luxuries and explains what makes them a must.

Gallery: Cognac King Maurice Hennessy's 10 Luxuries

A seat at Bayreuth Festspielhaus for the Wagner Festival

Proper ice cubes made of non-chlorinated water

Tags: Christian Dior, ChristianDior, Cognac, France, Hennessy, LVMH, Ruinart

Hennessy Black, Cognac With Its Own Song

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Cognac sales may be slowing for some brands but Hennessy isn't letting that dissuade them from the launch of Hennessy Black in 10 markets throughout the US. In addition to having a dramatic black bottle designed by French design consultancy Curius it's also different inside. The Hennessy Black is a blend of 35 to 45 pale and gold colored eaux-de-vie selected for their floral characteristics and aged in French oak barrels previously used by Hennessy for at least five years. Although the name might lead you to expect a darker, richer cognac, the Hennessy Black is said to have a more gentle wood influence with floral notes and hints of citrus and honey. Suggested recipes include serving it with a dash of lemon juice and simple sugar, with coffee liqueur and cola, with fresh ginger, simple syrup and lemon juice or Royale style with champagne, a dash of lemon juice and simple syrup. The cognac also already has its own song, "When I Step Into the Club" from Swizz Beatz." which will be performed for the first time at a launch event on May 5.

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Tags: cognac, hennessy, lvmh

Hennessy 44 Celebrates 44th President

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Hennessy Cognac gets in on the Obama hoopla with a limited edition cognac. The collector-edition, individually numbered bottle sells for around $30. A percentage of proceeds being donated to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund which awards scholarships to students attending historically Black colleges. A total of 180,000 bottles were produced and will be sold primarily in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Illinois, New York City, and Georgia. Like NY Magazine's Grub Street, we're pretty sure Barack Obama isn't a Hennessy man. Grub Street hopes he's a whisky man. If so, he's in luck, Scotland has extended an invitation for Barack Obama to attend a Burns Night supper in Washington D.C.

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Tags: barack obama, BarackObama, cognac, hennessy, inauguration

Harrods' $7,500 Holiday Hamper

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Spirits, Wine

Famed deluxe London department store Harrods came out with the ultimate holiday hamper this season, described as the "very best money can buy." Only eight of the extravagant Chairman's Choice hampers were made available by special order at about $7,500 apiece. Presented in an exclusively designed, limited edition handmade basket with leather trim, the hamper's contents include fruit, flowers, farmed smoked salmon, a truffle ham, half a Stilton cheese, double cream brie, and of course heaps of Beluga caviar. Drinks-wise, there's 30-year-old Macallan single malt Scotch, Krug champagne, Hennessy cognac, and several bottles of wine including the famous Chateau d'Yquem.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: Caviar, Champagne, Harrods, Hennessy, Holidays, Krug, London, Macallan

The Classicist: LVMH's Distinctive Vintages

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Wine, Books, The Classicist

French luxury goods conglomerate LVMH is best known for its marquee property Louis Vuitton, but the company has also amassed the world's most amazing collection of top-class wine and spirits brands under its Moët Hennessy group. The incomparable portfolio is celebrated in a suitably lavish new book called Distinctive Vintages ($200, right) just out from Flammarion.

Moët Hennessy owns too many luxury brands to list, but to name a few: Hennessy Cognac; Moët & Chandon, luxe Dom Pérignon, Krug and Veuve Clicquot champagnes; Belvedere and Chopin vodkas; Glenmorangie and deliciously smoky Ardbeg single malt Scotch whiskies; and the famed Chateau d'Yquem wine, synonymous with the finest money can buy.

The book focuses on the collection of fine French wines and spirits, personified in three regions that are "as noble as they are prestigious": Cognac, the ancestral birthplace of Hennessy; Champagne, home Dom Pérignon and its confreres; and Bordeaux, graced by the magical Château d'Yquem. It offers both a practical guide to the three regions as well as an explanation of the different vintages and results produced by the famed houses.

Gallery: Distinctive Vintages

Drawing rooms of the hôtel du Marc, Reims

Tags: champagne, cognac, Dom Perignon, DomPerignon, France, hennessy, Louis Vuitton, LouisVuitton, LVMH, Moet, Moet Chandon, MoetChandon, veuve clicquot, VeuveClicquot, Yquem

Continue reading “The Classicist: LVMH's Distinctive Vintages”

Exclusive Ltd. Edition Hennessy Sneakers by Jhung Yuro

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Shoes

Hip luxury lifestyle brand Jhung Yuro has created an exclusive new limited edition sneaker for world renowned cognac house Hennessy. Dubbed the Hennessy Celebration Hi-Top, the brown and cream (like the bottle) sneaker is made from soft full grain leather with a suede tongue and vamp, napa pigskin interior and a croc embossed overlay and strap. It also has a non-marking rubber midsole and crepe rubber outsole with a leather logo patch. Only 500 handmade pairs of the limited edition shoe will be available for sale beginning Dec. 1 for $300 at Jhung Yuro's (pronounced "young Euro") website. Each pair will come packaged in a custom lizard skin embossed shoebox with a braided rope handle. The cognac is extra.

Tags: Cognac, Hennessy, Jhung Yuro, JhungYuro, Sneakers

Liquor Exec: Top Shelf Sales Will Hold Steady

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

With the economy in its current state of disrepair, you'd think the premium liquor sector would be getting a little worried wondering whether people will continue to shell out for the good stuff. No doubt it's a big topic of discussion at Tales of the Cocktail, the big industry fest currently taking place in New Orleans. We asked one attendee, Rob Bryans of top-shelf 10 Cane Rum, for his thoughts on the subject. Premium liquor remains a "must-have" for consumers, he insists, despite the added strain on purchasing power.

Bryans, the brand's VP, says that 10 Cane for one insulated itself from market forces to some extent by striving for an excellence that consumers would consider indispensable. The "luxury rum" is made from the first pressing of virgin Trinidadian sugar cane in place of the molasses, a sugar byproduct, used by most others, and the process is overseen by Jean Pinneau, the Master Distiller of Hennessy in France. "Every step of the production process is painstakingly geared towards quality," Bryans tells Luxist. "This is an artisanal approach to rum making."

Instead of worrying about the economy 10 Cane is focusing on new ways of marketing its brand, such as the deluxe Mojito Kit they've come out with for summer, featuring a mixer from our personal favorite, Stirrings. Sounds like good business practice to us; there's nothing like a great drink for a temporary respite from economic pressures.

Gallery: 10 Cane Rum

Tags: 10 Cane, 10Cane, Hennessy, Rum, Stirrings, Summer cocktails, SummerCocktails, Tales of the Cocktail, TalesOfTheCocktail

Hennessy Beaute du Siecle Cognac

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Hennessy's latest deluxe offering, the Beaute du Siecle, has been making rounds at luxury affairs lately. This impressive display was designed by French artist Jean-Michel Othoniel. Ten different artists collaborated on the chest which is made from melted aluminum and mirrored glass. It has a bronze key and at the press of a button the bottle rises up on a tray. The bottle is Baccarat crystal and set in a metal lattice designed by Guerlain. It contains the Beauté du Siècle Hennessy Cognac, a limited edition blend that was blended by cellar master Yann Fillioux from Hennessy reserves, which are up to 100 years old with the youngest being 47 years. One chest has already been presented to Killian Hennessy as a birthday present, and another was donated to Elizabeth Taylor's AIDS charity and auctioned for $200,000 earlier this year.

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Tags: beaute du siecle, cognac, expire-images:2008-12-18, hennessy, limited edition