These days you’re as likely to drink Cognac over ice as in a snifter

BELFAST-BORN fashion photographer Atton Conrad found himself in the happy position recently of being commissioned to conjure up a new advertising campaign for Hennessy Cognac, especially for the Irish market. Thus he had no moody models to humour; instead he locked himself in his studio and played with time exposure photography, creating liquid ribbons of golden light to represent the numbers of eaux- de-vie it takes to blend a bottle of Hennessy.

It’s an effective campaign displayed not only on billboards, but in a museum in Cognac devoted to the history of the distillery, from the days when Richard Hennessy left Ballymacroy and joined his Wild Geese relatives to become an officer of Dillon’s regiment in the late 1700s. Conrad was chuffed to see his work exhibited in such illustrious company, and you’d have to wonder if he will ever go back to taking mere fashion pictures ever again.

But photography is not his only gift. At another stage in his career he was a bartender, of the showman variety. He could make a Sidecar blindfolded and could pour drink into a glass with the bottle held two foot aloft, possibly while dancing a jig. Thus at the launch of this campaign in Cognac we found ourselves sampling old and young eaux-de-vie in the company of an astute professional blender, and later tasting an assortment of long drinks prepared by Conrad, devised for a younger market. Ireland is, interestingly, the number one market for Hennessy in western Europe.

Ginger, in the form of ginger ale, has traditionally been a favourite mixer in Ireland. Hennessy has updated the classic with, essentially, lime and mint. Here’s an “intermediate” recipe for the home bartender:

Hennessy Ginger

1½ oz Hennessy

½ oz fresh lime juice

¼ sugar syrup

3 fresh (torn) mint leaves

3½ oz ginger ale

Garnish with a sprig of mint and serve with crushed ice and perhaps some fresh ginger.

(An “expert” version for the avid home bartender would require 2oz of Hennessy, 4 dried apricots, a one-inch piece of fresh ginger, 1oz of lemon juice, ¼oz sugar syrup and a dash of orange and ginger bitters, should you have them to hand. This drink is shaken with ice, and adding more fresh ginger is recommended for a before-dinner drink.)

Either way, the combination is perfect for the party season – surprisingly refreshing and reviving.

And might I suggest another classic with Cognac, which involves Champagne. My father was somewhat challenged in a house of five daughters, but he made up for it in curious ways. When any of us brought a young man home for Christmas, for example, he delighted in giving them the Champagne Cocktail Test, which, basically, was to see if they could remain upstanding and intelligible after being plied with the following concoction:

Champagne cocktail

Place a sugar cube in the bottom of a Champagne glass.

Douse elegantly with just a dash of Cognac.

Add Champagne

Raise a toast. Observe.

I introduced this at an office party one year, with delirious effects. It’s sure to heighten the colour of your comrades’ cheeks within minutes.