Marking the ten-year anniversary of its Very Special Limited Edition series, Maison Hennessy announced the selection of locally born artist, Faith XLVII for this year’s collaboration. As the first South African and first female artist in the series, the French cognac distiller is clearly focused on continuing its legacy as pioneers in enriching cultural dialogue.
Each artist in the series is tasked with a very important commission: to design a custom bottle for Hennessy Very Special Limited Edition.
“This marks an exciting new chapter in the Maison’s tradition of fostering partnerships with artists who are part of a global movement. Through it, Hennessy reaffirms our commitment to supporting emerging talent that strives to effect positive change at community level. It has been a privilege to work with Faith and to reflect on the artistic synergies between our art forms. We believe the result is extremely striking and encapsulates much of what we both stand for”, adds Pascal Asin, Managing Director, Moët Hennessy Africa Middle East.
A pioneer in her own right, Faith XLVII is known for being one of the first female graffiti artists in South Africa. When she transitioned to studio work in Los Angeles, her fearless authentic spirit in the urban art sphere shone through. Now, her passion for layering basic, raw materials are evident in not only the design of the bottle but the cocktails that were created especially for the collaboration.
“We both take basic substances and turn them into something remarkable,” says Faith XLVII. “I wanted to capture that alchemy and make it come alive for all the senses. Creating the cocktails was an extension of the bottle design.”
The two new cocktail collaborations were styled to enhance any cognac experience. Hennessy Imprint, with its natural flavours of eucalyptus and jasmine that contrast beautifully with the headiness of Hennessy Very Special. The Hennessy Seasons cocktail, which is a warmer, more earthy flavour from cardamom and Peychaud Bitters.
Intensifying the boldness and fragrance of this special blend, Faith’s palette is inspired by natural colours combining gold elements with peachy, sunset tones, while striking graphic lettering pays tribute to the chalk inscriptions on age-old barrels stored in the Founder’s Cellar in Cognac. The powerful work of art represents Hennessy through the elements, earth and the cycles of nature. With the sun and time as central elements, intricate detail pays tribute to nature via references to the moon, rain, clouds and grapevines accentuated in precious gold leaf. The stunning final product reinforces the perfect enchantment of this partnership.
“Our goal is to find artists who share our values but can also bring their own unique touch to the partnership,” says Asin. “It is clear we found that with Faith XLVII.”
HENNESSY IMPRINT COCKTAIL
●1.5 oz (40ml) Hennessy VS
●3/4 oz (20ml) eucalyptus syrup
●3/4 oz (20ml) fresh lime juice
●1 oz (30ml) jasmine tea
Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice and top with tonic water. Garnish with eucalyptus and edible flowers if desired.
HENNESSY SEASONS
●2 oz (60ml) Hennessy VS
●.25 oz (7ml) simple syrup
●3 dash Peychaud™ bitters
●1 dash cardamom bitters
●3 Thai lime leaves
Press two leaves in a mixing glass and add other ingredients with ice. Stir to chill. Strain into a rocks glass with a large cube. Garnish with Thai lime leaf (slap before placing on the ice)
