Van Diemen, the Tasmanian distillery already famous for their super-pure vodka, is bringing something entirely new to the Hong Kong cocktail scene. Van Diemen prides themselves on being the black sheep of the Australian distillery scene. So, it’s hardly surprising that they have developed something so innovative and unexpected.

Their new Van Diemen Liqueur is the world’s first pearlescent liqueur and gives any cocktail in which it’s featured the opaque lustre and dull brilliance of a red pearl. Concocted from smooth Van Diemen vodka, cabernet sauvignon grape juice and steeped Tasmanian raspberries, this liqueur has a taste to match its evocative appearance.

Van Diemen Liqueur was first launched in Hong Kong at HOFEX in May and has already made a name for itself amongst Hong Kong cocktail lovers. Judging from the signature cocktails already popping up at popular nightspots like PLAY, Le Boudoir and Jaa Bar, it would appear that our love affair with pearlescent liqueurs is only just beginning.

Earlier this week, Martell Cognac invited us to a cognac-pairing dinner and to talk with Jacques Menier, Heritage Director for Martell Cognac about Martell’s range of cognac’s, the Martell Amber lamp by architect Jean Nouvel and the changing tastes of cognac in Asia over the past 30 years over an exquisite dinner on the 101st floor at the International Commerce Centre’s Dragon Seal Chinese restaurant.

Cognac’s history in Asia is as complex as the drink itself – Mr. Menier reminisced over his 30 year career with Martell that helped to build more widespread appeal in Asia for cognac.

Briefly, cognac is aged champagne grapes made in the 19,000 person town in Southwestern France called Cognac (where Mr Menier was born) – the grapes are aged for a maximum of 60 years of age. Cognac must be at least 40% alcohol – so it is them taken out of oak barrels and into glass bottles. Jean Martell, who was 21 when he started making cognac in 1715 is now the best-selling cognac in Asia.

A wine seller from a young age in the UK, Mr. Menier moved back to Cognac at 30 and went to work for Martell and started in the Duty Free market. In 1990 he led Martell’s charge into the Asia-Pacific market, which was a promising landscape at the time.

Menier’s take on how cognac picked up in Asia started over 100 years ago when the British brought it over but it was the Cantonese themselves that first started pairing cognac with Cantonese food. The cognac accentuates the taste of dishes like steamed fish.

Vietnam also picked up cognac because of the French and is developing into a big consumer of cognac, but of course China is the biggest market for cognac now – which is still comparatively small when compared to China’s own baiju market.

To accommodate for a new generation of cognac drinkers, Martell has tailored some of them to be lighter and fruitier like in the Cordon Bleu while keeping the classic taste in the XO. You can add as much water to cognac as you like and the taste and fragrance remain – and you can drink as much as you like without the scare of a hangover.

We tried three types of cognac: The L’or De Matrell was formidable, a bottle will set you back HK$30,000 (limited to a few thousand bottles)

L'Or de Jean Martell

If that’s too rich for your blood Martell’s Cordon Bleu is available for HK$1,200 a bottle and the Creation Grand Extra is about HK$3,200 a bottle – but mixing it with ginger ale to create a Horse’s Neck is a truly stimulating mix that we highly recommend on your next night out.

Mr. Menier didn’t just bring cognac with him from France, he also brought the Jean Nouvel-designed Martell Amber Lamp: a polysemic work of art created as a tribute to the virtuosity of Martell cognac.

The centrepiece of the dinner, the Martell Amber Lamp is a luminous sculpture consisting of an imposing glass bulb with a tall metal staff. Jean Nouvel has expressed his full talent in creating not so much a lamp, but a light that emits endless luminous pulses.

Mr. Jacques Menier, Heritage Director for Martell Cognac

As for Dragon Seal – the food paired very well with the cognac and to sum up the view, it’s as stunning as Martell’s cognac and we enjoyed very much our time with Mr. Menier and learning about Martell through his eyes.

Martell Cognac is distributed in Hong Kong by Pernod Ricard.

Originally created as the Ultimate Tribute to the Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, famous Scotch whisky company Royal Salute continues this tradition of honouring the monarch with their 62 Gun Salute blend, presenting its first tribute in Hong Kong last week. The final 62 Gun Salute blend is a powerful harmony of complex flavours and a culmination of over fifty years of blending expertise.

In the presence of Mr. Torquhil Ian Campbell, 13th Duke of Argyll, and Mr. Darren Hosie, Royal Salute brand ambassador, Mr. Chung King Fai was presented the premier tribute in Hong Kong for his life-long contribution and achievements in drama and performing arts.

To celebrate the launch of Lovers of Film Series, Grey Goose threw a party at G Bar recently to kick-off the ceremony. Guests were invited to a private screening of Burlesque starring Christina Aguilera and a cocktail party that served up Grey Goose’s many cocktail concoctions.

Grey Goose has received many awards for their vodka incudling:

• Rated No.1 “Hot Vodka Brand” by Hot Bar Brands survey of 300 elite bars around the world, Drinks International (Jan 2010)
• Best by Taste – No.1 vodka for taste, Imbibe ICE Awards 2009 (UK, Jan-Feb 2009)
• “Grey Goose was praised for slinky, seductive characters on the palate” -  Rated No.1 in a blind taste test: “The Goose came out on top…” Barron’s (April 2005)
• Grey Goose La Poire – “All the floral elegance of ripe fruit”, Esquire (UK, August 2009)

Chivas Regal teamed up with the inimitable VW at London Fashion Week to unveil its limited edition 18 Year Old. There are only 2,500 bottles of this allocated priced at USD495 duty-free. Viviennedesigned the bottle jacket in a three-piece coat featuring the Union Flag dating back to 1801.

This is part of Chivas Regal’s fashionable collaborations with a whole host of designers from Christian Lacroix and the late Alexander McQueen in the past.

We must say we love the creations the designers have come up with for Chivas…but wonder if fashionable women are running off to purchase the designer-outfitted scotch whisky?!

This is part of Chivas Regal’s fashionable collaborations with a whole host of designers from Christian Lacroix and the late Alexander McQueen in the past.

We must say we love the creations the designers have come up with for Chivas…but wonder if fashionable women are running off to purchase the designer-outfitted scotch whisky?!

To read more, visit Luxury Insider.

In celebration of the Chinese New Year of the Rabbit, Hennessy VSOP Hélios has been launched as the first of the Privilège Collection by Hennessy and the first limited edition cognac in the Hennessy VSOP history.

Together with Hennessy’s new Odyssey XO Limited Edition, the biggest cognac house is really getting it going in 2011.

So why the name Helios? It actually comes from Greek mythology and is the name of the ancient Sun God. The special edition bottle is impressively packaged, varnished in a layer of silver and colored to resemble pink gold, hence the name. As for taste, you’ll spot some rich aromas of vanilla and cinnamon in addition to some refined toasted notes which stem from the cognac’s long maturation in oak barrels.

The new Hennessy V.S.O.P Hélios comes in 70cl, 150cl or 300cl bottles and the gift set available now includes a 5cl miniature token bottle, with prices ranging from HK$475 to HK$2,350.

How much?

Where to buy?

Following the successful collaboration with the late Alexander McQueen in 2008, Chivas Regal has commissioned Christian Lacroix to produced a special edition Chivas Regal 18 year old premium scotch whiskey.

Designer Christian Lacroix, famed for his artistic and theatrical Haute Couture collections, expresses his over-the-top luxurious style by creating a striking silver bottle with rich blue and red detailing and a label embroidered in jacquard for Chivas Regal in a one-time collaboration. Each bottle is produced using a unique laser technique pioneered jointly by Chivas and Lacroix, and presented in a lavish brocade box with a mirrored interior.

There are only 3,000 bottles in the whole wide world and 30 of them have been allocated to Hong Kong,

How much?

• HK$3,500

Where to buy?

• Voi la! at Shop G01A, G/F Man Yee Building, 68 Des Voeux Road, Central, Hong Kong.
• CitySuper at Times Square Basement One, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Tel:2506 2888

The Royal Salute 63 Gun Salute is named after the ’62 Gun Salute’ held at the Tower of London to mark the Queen’s coronation each year. The 62 Gun Salute blend is made from different whiskies that are at least 40 years old, part of the Chivas Brothers’ aged whiskey tradition.

The whiskey comes in a hand-crafted bottle designed by Dartington Crystal and features a Royal Salute crest painted in liquid 24-carat gold, a collar and crystal stopperset with a gold plated crown.

Priced at USD2000, the limited edition spirit will be available for sale at the end of 2010.

To read more, go to Luxury Insider.

Potocki Wodka (the “w” is the Polish spelling of “vodka,” the “v” is the Russian way of spelling it) is a premium vodka that has been produced in Poland by the Potocki family since 1784.

Considered one of the best vodka in the world, Potochki Wodka has won many accolades and is a favourite amongst vodka connoisseurs. This vodka is made from superior quality rye, produced in small batches and distilled two times at low speeds and bottled without filter to retain its full flavour.

Jan-Roman Potocki, CEO and heir of Potocki distillery was in Hong Kong last week to introduce the vodka at a private dinner party he hosted at the Kee Club. A distinctly, themed Polish night as musicians were flown specially to provide a touch of authentic Polish entertainment.

Chef Bonelli of the Kee Club and Sam Jeveons, mixologist extraordinaire created a series of delightful cocktails using Polish inspired ingredients to pair with a five course menu that can be described as Polish inspired fused with local touches.

Dinner was goose liver beetroot pudding, followed by cod with cabbage, potato and sour cream. The most interesting dish will have to be the smoked pork belly served with rye, apple, truffle, horseradish and mayo. The lemon honey sorbet served with Potocki Wodka is a genius palette cleanser.

Jan-Roman who runs the distillery says that he himself tastes every batch to ensure quality and consistency. The vodka is very smooth and have a slight caramel taste with notes of nuts and pepper. This vodka is best when its served pure with ice with cherry and chocolate – Pilawa Old Fashion, or a stick of olive.

Potocki Wodka is served at exclusive fine dining establishments in Hong Kong and can be ordered for home delivery via Brilliant Top, ask for Mr. Chu at 2847 4977. Find out more from the official site: Potockivodka.com

Potocki Wodka is served at the following establishments in Hong Kong:

• Domani
• Upper House
• Kee Club
• Mandarin Landmark (MO Bar & Amber bar)
• W in Kowloon
• Shangri La Island
• FINDS

Moet Hennessy Diageo gets into the Christmas spirit with limited edition bottles of iconic orange liqueur Grand Marnier and Polish vodka Belvedere.

First up is France’s popular export liqueur Grand Marnier is celebrating this year’s winter holiday season with a playfully red limited edition of its classic Cordon Rouge, named ‘Irresistible’. Adorned with vivid red lacquer, it is the 7th of a series released annually by Grand Marnier since 2003. This 2009 ‘Irresistible’ Limited Edition has only 300 bottles available in Hong Kong in select high-end bars and specialty outlets, including Watson’s Wine Cellar and Oliver’s and will retail for HK$308 a bottle.

Belvedere is also adding a festive, limited edition addition to its luxury vodka portfolio for the 2009 Xmas season. The super premium ‘Belvedere Silver’ compliments the spirit of the festive season in a sleek, chic packaging against a mirrored background. This one is also limited in quantity available: the 700 ml  version will have 500 bottles available in Hong Kong in selected premium night clubs, liquor stores, and department stores including Watson’s Wine Cellar, City’super, Oliver’s, The Great, Jusco, Sogo with a retail of HK$360 a bottle. A Belvedere Silver 1.75 L  with only 60 bottles, will be sold at premium night clubs across Hong Kong.

Collect these for yourself or give them away as gifts but keep an eye out for them in December.