Sips & Sites & Bites

The Year of the Horse has arrived … and if you’re going to toast strength, speed, and perseverance, you might as well do it with something that actually feels worthy of the moment.

This year, the House of Rémy Martin has teamed up with celebrated Chinese artist Xue Song for a Lunar New Year release that’s equal parts art piece, collector’s item, and very good excuse to mix a proper cocktail.

Let’s start with the bottle … because it’s stunning.

The Centaur Charges Forward

For 2026, Rémy Martin invited Xue Song to reinterpret the House’s iconic Centaur emblem in honor of the Year of the Horse. The result is a limited-edition XO gift set wrapped in Song’s vibrant, symbolic collage style.

His artwork, titled “The Centaur is Paving the Way,” shows the golden Centaur leading a herd of five horses across an auspicious red backdrop. Bamboo shoots signal spring and renewal. Clouds swirl overhead. Rivers flow. The earth nods to Rémy Martin’s prized Petite and Grande Champagne terroir in Cognac. And guiding it all? A sparkling golden javelin pointed toward the stars.

It’s dramatic. It’s kinetic. It perfectly captures the House motto: “Feet on the ground, head in the stars.”

The gift box slides open to reveal the XO decanter nestled in a mythical landscape of clouds and bamboo, with the golden Centaur gleaming from the neck collar. It’s embossed, metallic, richly detailed … and yes, almost too beautiful to open.

Almost.

The limited-edition Rémy Martin Lunar New Year Collection 2026 has a suggested price of $209.99.

What’s Inside the Decanter

Of course, the real magic isn’t just on the outside.

Rémy Martin XO is known for being lush, layered, and unapologetically indulgent. In the glass, it shows a fiery mahogany color with opal tones. On the nose, it’s exceptionally smooth yet expressive … plums, dried figs, candied orange, passion fruit, honey, and delicate jasmine.

Take a sip and it unfolds gradually: fresh passion fruit, mature fig, candied orange, warm nutmeg, freshly ground hazelnuts. The finish lingers with roasted cocoa beans, honey, and gingerbread. It’s full-bodied, long-lasting, and undeniably smooth.

In other words, it’s the kind of cognac that doesn’t rush … fitting for a year defined by powerful, forward momentum.

The Cocktail: XO 橘 (Jü) Old Fashioned

To celebrate the Year of the Horse, Rémy Martin is also offering a Lunar New Year twist on the Old Fashioned: the XO 橘 (Jü) Old Fashioned.

Why mandarin? Because Lunar New Year tradition holds that mandarin fruit symbolizes good fortune and success. So naturally, it belongs in your glass.

This version keeps the classic bones of an Old Fashioned but brightens it with citrus energy that mirrors the Horse’s vibrancy. The richness of XO meets the lucky glow of mandarin … and honestly, it just works.

XO 橘 (Jü) Old Fashioned

Ingredients

• 1¾ oz Rémy Martin XO
• 1/3 oz mandarin liqueur
• 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
• 1 cube brown sugar
• Ice cube
• Fresh mandarin wedge or dried/candied peel

Method
In a rocks glass, muddle the brown sugar and bitters. Add Rémy Martin XO and mandarin liqueur. Stir gently, add a large ice cube, and garnish with a mandarin wedge or candied peel. Raise glass. Welcome good fortune. Repeat as needed.

The result? Deep, velvety cognac layered with bright citrus sparkle, subtle spice, and just enough sweetness to keep everything in balance. It feels celebratory without being flashy … luxurious but energetic.

Very Year of the Horse.

Art, Heritage, and a Little Fire

There’s something fitting about Xue Song’s involvement in this project. After a fire destroyed his studio early in his career, he began incorporating charred remnants of books, photographs, and paintings into his collages. His work fuses classical Chinese art with Western pop culture, high and low, past and present.

That tension … tradition meeting reinvention … mirrors Rémy Martin itself. Founded in 1724 and still family-owned, the House has spent nearly three centuries producing Fine Champagne Cognacs while continuing to evolve.

So when you pour an XO 橘 Old Fashioned this Lunar New Year, you’re not just mixing a drink. You’re raising a glass to history, artistry, resilience, and forward motion.

Strength. Speed. Perseverance. A little golden sparkle.

The Year of the Horse deserves nothing less.