December 21, 2018
“Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow;
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.”
The excerpt from English poet Alfred Tennyson’s ‘Ring Out, Wild Bells’ aptly captures the sentiments around Christmas and New Year of welcoming all things new. So, how about giving some fun twists to your cocktails this festive season?!
When ‘Vishawatch’ was invited to a ‘Hennessy Masterclass’ on fixing interesting cocktails, we were quick to grab the opportunity to learn some cool drinks made with one of the finest cognacs on the planet — Hennessy Very Special (VS).
Produced and bottled in Cognac, France, Hennessy VS illustrates to perfection over two centuries of savoir faire, blending more than forty eaux-de-vie carefully selected from the premier growing areas of the Cognac region. With an iconic bottle shape, the VS stands for “Very Special” and means that the youngest eaux-de-vie in this blend are at least 2.5 years old.
Hennessy Brand Ambassador Shehan Minocher 
With strong alcohol scents, it is very potent and has a subtle spiciness with hints of vanilla and oak. Eaux de Vie (French for “Water of Life) are colourless fruit brandies produced by fermentation and double distillation.
They are typically served as a digestif, and are distilled from a plethora of different fruits, as well as the must left over from wine production (in a similar fashion to Italy’s Grappa). Eaux de Vie is usually served neat, and often in a small tulip glass.
Set on a sunny bright afternoon at an upscale restro-bar in South Delhi recently, the Masterclass was conducted by Hennessy’s Brand Ambassador Shehan Minocher.
We got behind the bar with him to and made four amazing cocktails packed with exquisite flavours, aromas and punch. Here is what we got. Go try!
Pour 45 ml of Hennessy Very Special and 100 ml of Ginger Ale into a Copper Mug or a Rocks Glass. Add ice and garnish with Lime Wedge or Ginger.
Pick out an old fashioned glass for this one. Add one bar spoon of Brown Sugar along with four dashes of Angostura Bitters in the glass. Break sugar cube gently with a muddler or a bar spoon. Now add 30 ml Hennessy Very Special and stir. Add ice and stir well. Once the ice settles, add the another 30 ml of Hennessey Very Special along with more ice and 5 ml of Maple Syrup, stir. Garnish with Orange Peel and Cinnamon Stick.
You need 60 ml Hennessy Very Special, 30 ml Lime Juice, 30 ml Simple Syrup, One Egg White, three dashes of Aromatic Bitters. Pour all ingredients into a shaker and dry shake. Add ice and wet shake vigorously. Then double strain into a Rock Glass and garnish with Orange Peel or Lime Wedge.
Start with 45 ml of ‘Hennessy Very Special’ cognac. Other ingredients you would need are 15ml of Grand Marnier, 60 ml of Angostra Bitters, 30 ml of Simple Syrup, 15 ml of Lemon Juice and an Orange Twist for garnishing. Add all liquids into a shaker tin with ice and shake until well chilled. Strain into a Collins Glass over fresh ice and garnish with an Orange Twist.
The buzz from these might ring a few bells in the head. Enjoy!