8 Lunar New Year Alcohol Releases to Celebrate the Year of the Horse

Limited-edition spirits are increasingly central to premium alcohol brands’ seasonal strategies. For Lunar New Year 2026, brands are combining zodiac motifs, festive packaging and collaborations with artists and designers to create collectible expressions that resonate with gifting traditions and cultural rituals.

The Year of the Horse sees premium spirit houses collaborate with contemporary artists and designers to add both cultural depth and visual distinction. Johnnie Walker partnered with haute couturier Robert Wun to reinterpret the horse in a sculptural, avant-garde design; Rémy Martin commissioned Chinese artist Xue Song to reimagine its Centaur emblem; Royal Salute worked with illustrator Feifei Ruan to bring festive iconography to life; and Louis XIII continued its collaboration with papercut artist Liu Lihong.

In a market where whisky and premium spirits experience seasonal and economic fluctuations, limited-edition releases enable brands to capitalise on the gifting segment, capturing consumers seeking one-of-a-kind purchases ahead of festive gatherings. This is where design and visual presentation become key as consumers who are not regular buyers of the brand may make an impulse purchase based on the aesthetic appeal of the bottle or packaging, allowing the brand to reach new audiences beyond its existing customer base.

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Martell

For the Year of the Horse, Maison Martell continues its annual zodiac series with L’Or de Jean Martell — Assemblage du Cheval. Limited to just 500 individually numbered decanters worldwide, the house’s renowned cuvée becomes the vehicle through which the symbolism of the lunar calendar is interpreted each year, with 2026 centred on the horse.

Cellar master Christophe Valtaud has incorporated the eaux-de-vie from previous Years of the Horse, many drawn from Grande Champagne. The blend retains its depth and concentration, while bringing forward a brighter aromatic profile and a more defined energy on the palate. Notes of honey, candied fruit and florals sit alongside red fruit and blackcurrant.

As with previous editions, Martell’s presentation is integral and this year is no exception. Created in collaboration with Baccarat, the mouthblown crystal decanter is crowned with a red crystal horse’s head stopper and set on a gold-toned base. Each piece is engraved and housed in a wooden case, positioning the release firmly within the category of exclusive collectible spirits rather than standard seasonal packaging.

Singapore celebrates the launch with a temporary House of Martell installation at ION Orchard. Framed around the custom of Lunar New Year visiting, the space combines retail with cultural programming — including calligraphy sessions and artist collaborations, alongside limited-edition bottlings of Martell Cordon Bleu and VSOP.

The Glen Grant

For Lunar New Year 2026, The Glen Grant presents a limited-edition trio centred on its core age expressions: the 12-Year-Old, 15-Year-Old and 18-Year-Old. The Speyside distillery reframes its established range through seasonal packaging and gifting cues aligned with the Year of the Horse. Each whisky is housed in a zodiac-themed gift box accompanied by two branded glasses — a not-so-subtle nod to the cultural preference for paired offerings during the festive period. The horse motif is not overbearing, allowing the distillery’s identity to remain foregrounded while signalling the festive occasion.

Consumers will still recognise The Glen Grant’s long-standing emphasis on fruit-driven character and the brand’s use of ex-bourbon barrels and remade hogsheads. The 12-Year-Old remains the most accessible of the three — with notes of orchard fruit, caramel and almond — suited to daytime gatherings and highball serves. The 15-Year-Old moves into spiced pear, apricot and toffee while at the top of the range, the 18-Year-Old introduces deeper tones of malted caramel, vanilla and raisin, with a rounded profile designed for slower consumption or measured cocktail adaptations.

Pairing suggestions are tailored to the festive table — from pineapple tarts to bak kwa — placing the whisky range within familiar Lunar New Year flavours rather than positioning them solely as formal after-dinner tipples. This localisation is reinforced in Singapore through retail distribution at selected supermarkets and specialist merchants, alongside bar activations at venues including Skai Bar, Night Hawk and The Other Room. For Lunar New Year 2026, the distillery positions familiarity itself as part of the ritual, offering collectors and gift buyers a recognisable single malt dressed for the occasion.

Hennessy

For Lunar New Year 2026, Hennessy unveiled the zodiac editions of Hennessy V.S.O.P, Hennessy X.O and Hennessy Paradis — presented in red-toned packaging featuring a galloping horse motif. Alongside the redesigned labels, Hennessy has introduced a Singapore-specific element through a partnership with Bee Cheng Hiang, marking the cognac house’s first local Lunar New Year collaboration. The pairing of cognac and bakkwa places the brand directly within the festive table. Pop-up activations at Bee Cheng Hiang’s Chinatown and Serangoon outlets — as well as a showcase at FairPrice Finest Clarke Quay — extend the collaboration into retail environments during the peak pre-Lunar New Year period.

The campaign is further supported by a Reunion Kit designed for at-home get-togethers. Each kit includes a standard bottle of Hennessy, tulip glasses, festive decorations and selected Bee Cheng Hiang snacks, distributed via a purchase-with-draw mechanic running through the season. The strategy ties volume sales to the chance of acquiring a curated celebratory set, reinforcing the brand’s presence at domestic gatherings.

Founded in 1765 and rooted in the Charente region of France, Hennessy has long relied on limited-edition packaging to maintain cultural relevance across markets. The house uses this same marketing strategy for the Lunar New Year by honing in on the visibility of the Year of the Horse by leveraging bold design, local partnership and supermarket distribution to embed itself within everyday reunion rituals rather than positioning the editions solely as a one-off collectors’ purchase.

Johnnie Walker

This Lunar New Year, Johnnie Walker once again turns to haute couture for its Blue Label release, commissioning Hong Kong-born, London-based designer Robert Wun to reinterpret the Year of the Horse. The collaboration sees Wun — recognised for his sculptural silhouettes and theatrical approach to form — apply his contemporary lens to the zodiac theme. The horse becomes a symbol of forward motion and resolve, aligning with Johnnie Walker’s long-standing “Keep Walking” narrative. The bottle design carries this energy through bold graphic treatment, aimed at collectors of Blue Label as well as a younger luxury audience attuned to fashion crossovers.

Inside the bottle remains Johnnie Walker Blue Label, drawn from rare casks across the brand’s reserves. Its profile of honey, vanilla, dried fruit and soft smoke continues to anchor the release with the limited-edition exterior providing the seasonal distinction. The launch underscores Johnnie Walker’s continued investment in cultural partnerships, particularly within art and fashion. By collaborating with a couturier who shows on the Paris Haute Couture calendar, the brand reinforces Blue Label’s position within a broader luxury conversation rather than confining it to whisky connoisseurs alone.

Rémy Martin

For Lunar New Year 2026, Rémy Martin partners with Chinese contemporary artist Xue Song to reinterpret the house’s Centaur emblem for the Year of the Horse. The collaboration centres on a newly commissioned artwork, which forms the basis of limited-edition presentations of Rémy Martin XO, CLUB and VSOP. Xue Song — known for his collage-based practice that merges printed fragments with ink techniques — depicts the Centaur leading a group of horses forward. The image draws a parallel between the zodiac animal and Rémy Martin’s long-standing symbol, positioning both as figures of momentum and direction. The composition is rendered in layered reds and metallic tones, designed to translate effectively onto bottle and box.

The most elaborate expression appears on Rémy Martin XO. The sliding gift box carries the full artwork in embossed metallic detail, while the decanter and neck collar are finished with a golden Centaur drawn from Xue’s design. Rémy Martin VSOP receives a lighter treatment, with Xue Song’s collage adapted to the label and gift box of the frosted bottle. The emphasis here is on gifting, reinforcing VSOP’s position as an accessible entry point during the festive season.

As with many Lunar New Year releases, the collaboration extends beyond packaging into themed cocktail serves, but the focus remains on visual authorship. By inviting a highly-visible Chinese artist to reinterpret its emblem, Rémy Martin places contemporary art at the centre of its seasonal strategy, using cultural partnership to renew familiar expressions without altering the liquid itself.

Louis XIII

For the Year of the Horse, Louis XIII presents a Lunar New Year coffret that continues its collaboration with traditional papercut artist Liu Lihong, now in its fourth year. The 2026 design combines the zodiac horse with a bright red hippeastrum — a flower associated with good fortune and renewal. Created using traditional Chinese stamp techniques, the imagery reflects the message “一樽腾达，马上宏图” — linking the idea of advancement with the arrival of spring. The overall effect is celebratory with red as the dominant visual cue.

Inside the coffret remains the Louis XIII Classic decanter, composed of eaux-de-vie sourced exclusively from Grande Champagne and aged in old Limousin oak tierçons. The emphasis rests on continuity with generational blending, extended maturation and provenance as markers of rarity. By renewing its partnership with a recognised craft inheritor, Louis XIII reinforces its alignment with heritage disciplines beyond Cognac. The Lunar New Year edition does not seek novelty in flavour, but in context, positioning the coffret as a ceremonial object suited to the gifting rituals that define the season.

Royal Salute

For Lunar New Year 2026, Royal Salute has released a special edition that centres on illustration. The house has partnered with Shenzhen-born, New York-based illustrator Feifei Ruan to interpret the theme “Ignite the New Year”, translating festive symbolism onto the bottle and presentation box. Ruan’s design incorporates lanterns, firecrackers and plum blossoms, rendered in saturated colour and layered detail. The composition draws on Lunar New Year iconography while referencing Royal Salute’s own heritage codes, creating a visual dialogue between Chinese celebration and Scotch tradition. The result is a decorative new bottle aimed squarely at the gifting market.

The whisky itself remains consistent with the House style. On the nose, sweet pear and citrus are supported by vanilla, dry oak and light smoke. The palate is full and fruit-led, moving through orange marmalade and fresh pear before introducing spice and hazelnut. The finish is dry with a gentle warmth.

As with many seasonal releases, the emphasis is on presentation. By commissioning a recognised contemporary illustrator, Royal Salute refreshes an existing expression for the festive calendar, using narrative and visual identity to mark the Year of the Horse.

The Dalmore 18 Lunar New Year 2026 Edition

For Lunar New Year 2026, The Dalmore releases a limited edition of its 18-Year-Old, presented in a festive box designed for gifting. The edition emphasises presentation and occasion over reinterpretation of flavour, with complementary engraving and delivery services enhancing its appeal as a celebratory gift.

The whisky itself is aged in American white oak ex-bourbon casks and 30-year-old Matusalem Oloroso sherry casks, highlighting the house’s characteristic depth and richness. Tasting notes follow the familiar Dalmore profile: the nose combines vanilla, dark chocolate, English marmalade and sweet liquorice, while the palate reveals chocolate-covered raisins, citrus, coffee, nutmeg and spice. The finish is long, with stewed fruit and toffee.

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