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Top 10 spirits to celebrate Year of the Snake

These spirits brands are celebrating the Year of the Snake with special bottlings of Cognac, single malt Scotch, Tequila, and more.

Martell is releasing 500 bottles of its Assemblage du Serpent

The Lunar New Year takes place this year on 29 January, and for those looking to celebrate the Year of the Snake with a fancy bottle, plenty of spirits brands have released commemorative expressions for the occasion.

These bottles from Johnnie Walker, Rémy Martin, Don Julio and more sport artistic flourishes that help to elevate the moment and toast.

Scroll down for our pick of 10 spirits brands leading the celebrations this Lunar New Year.


Don Julio

To celebrate the Lunar New Year, Don Julio has released a limited edition bottle of its 1942 Tequila. The bottle features a custom illustration merging the Chinese Zodiac snake and the Aztec feathered serpent. It is priced at US$200 and bottled at 40% ABV, the same as the standard 1942. The brand is also offering Margarita and Old Fashioned recipes created by mixologist Fanny Chau to celebrate.


Hennessy CognacHennessy Cognac Year of Snake

Maison Hennessy collaborated with fashion designer Shuting Qiu to create a trio of limited edition Cognac bottles for the Chinese New Year. The ‘Reimagination’ collection features limited edition designs applied to Hennessy’s VSOP, XO and Paradis bottles. Qiu, who is from Hangzhou, China and now resides in Shanghai, took inspiration from her cultural heritage and travels.


Johnnie Walker

Diageo-owned Johnnie Walker releases a commemorative bottle of Blue Label each year, with the Year of the Snake bottling designed by Asian-American visual artist James Jean, who worked on last year’s Year of the Dragon design as well. Jean aimed to “create a snake that felt different, new and innovative” and pays homage to the past while “looking into the future with optimism”.


Rémy Martin

Rémy Martin has released limited edition bottles of its XO and 1738 Accord Royal, which feature artwork from Chinese artist Huang Yuxing. The designs were inspired by Yuxing’s Majestic Serpentine painting, and the collection comes with gift boxes bearing the artwork. The flowing and colourful lines are meant to evoke mountains in hills, which represent the terroir of the Grande and Petite Champagne regions in Cognac, France.


Tamdhu

Tamdhu-Year-of-the-SnakeTamdhu’s Year of the Snake 2025 was matured in oloroso Sherry casks and is available exclusively at Total Wine & More for US$89. It is bottled at a batch strength of 58.9% ABV. The brand said the snake embodies its ethos of evolution and craftsmanship, while representing rebirth and transformation.


Martell Cognac

Assemblage du Serpent from Martell is an expression of eaux-de-vie from past Year of the Snake cycles. There are 500 numbered bottles available worldwide. The liquid evokes enigmatic characteristics of the snake and is housed in a Baccarat crystal decanter that is covered in 19-carat gold and engraved with a snakeskin motif.


ABK6 Cognac

Family-owned ABK6 Cognac has released a limited release VSOP for the Lunar New Year, created in collaboration with Chinese artists Qiaolong Huang and Bingna Xu. For the release, owner Francis Abecassis and cellar master Frédéric David selected eaux-de-vie that demonstrated aromatic richness to be aged in the estate’s oldest casks.


GlenfiddichGlenfiddich Lunar Year 2025

Glenfiddich collaborated with contemporary ink artist Zhang Yu on a series of limited edition Lunar New Year bottles. The design is featured on the Glenfiddich 21-year-old Gran Reserva box and two global travel retail-exclusive expressions, 15-year-old Vat 03 and 18-year-old Vat 04. The travel retail exclusives will be showcased until the end of February 2025 at key airports in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Incheon, and Melbourne.


GlenAllachie

Speyside’s Glenallachie has bottled an 11-year-old single malt finished in Pedro Ximénez, oloroso Sherry, and virgin oak casks in celebration of the Lunar New Year. The packaging features a hand-drawn snake illustration and a gold-coloured snake charm. The whisky is bottled at 48% ABV and is available in Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, China and Hong Kong for £77 (US$94).


Gold Bar Whiskey

Gold Bar’s first Lunar New Year bottle was designed by Robin Deyi Zhao. The whiskey was distilled from 88% corn, 9% rye and 3% barley, and was finished in former Napa Valley wine barrels. Each bottle comes with a red velvet gift bag. Gold Bar is based in San Francisco and Zhao has participated in the city’s Lunar New Year traditions since moving there as a child.

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