This time of year, it seems as though there are always a few new bottles turning up. Friends bring them over when you have dinner parties, or perhaps they come wrapped as gifts on the big day. However they turn up, by the end of Christmas there are likely to be a few new bottles hiding in the liquor cabinet. And one of them could well be a bottle of Hennessy.
Perhaps one of the world’s best-known cognac brands, Hennessy is loved by world leaders and hip-hop artists alike, partly thanks to its connotations with wealth and quality, over the years Hennessy has garnered a wide audience. The French brand’s connection with hip-hop is particularly interesting: it’s believed to be the most referenced brand in the genre, appearing in over 4,000 tracks.
The famed cognac maison has also been putting the H in LVMH since 1987, marking it as one of the most important luxury brands in the world.
But unless you’re a real connoisseur, a glass of neat cognac is seldom going to be most people’s port of call for a late-night tipple. However, Hennessy also makes a delightful addition to a cocktail, helping to give a drink new dimensions and enhance other flavors. These cocktails prove to be a great way of using some of those bottles that you rarely touch.
You could for example make a standard espresso martini, and just switch out the vodka for Hennessy. Doing this can help liven up some of the classic and brings some new notes to an evening.
However, one Hennessy addition in particular caught my eye earlier this week. And that’s using the cognac in your next batch of sangria. Brandy is often added to sangria to boost the alcohol content, so why not use a posh cognac and make a luxury sangria? Perfect for a Christmas get-together in the Caribbean or somewhere else where it might be a bit too warm for mulled wine.
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Ingredients
— 12.5 oz Hennessy V.S
— 9 oz red wine (cabernet sauvignon or similar dark red wine)
Content from our partners
— 4 oz fresh mango juice
— 4 oz cranberry juice
— 2 oz peach schnapps
— Orange wheels, raspberries, blackberries and peach slices (for garnish)
Method
First, combine all the ingredients apart from the Hennessy ahead of time – the longer you leave the flavors to marinate, the better your sangria will be. Add the Hennessy just before you serve, for a luxury take on a classic sangria. Finish with orange wheels, raspberries blackberries and peach slices.
