Hennessy celebrates 250 years in Dar

Guests and Hennessy enthusiasts  got together at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Dar es Salaam last night to celebrate the 250^th birthday of the French cognac made since 1765.  Guests trickled in leisurely while smooth jazz music played discreetly in the background as we sipped on our Hennessey mojitos while waiting for the four course meal to begin.

The crowd was varied but many seemed to be loyal Hennessey drinkers. “The African Hennessey drinker is discerning, and is after the full experience; from the sophisticated lounge experience, a good dinner out as well as the clubbing scene and this is what Hennessey is about,” Hennessey global ambassador, Cyrille Gautier Auriol tells me. 

And who is the  Tanzanian Hennessey customer? Well from the looks of the crowd,  they are young professionals and entrepreneurs who are seeking the sophisticated experience that Hennessey promises. They are also social creatures who love  political/philosophical banter about the Tanzanian zeitgeist, it would not be surprising if the whole affair sank into a pretentious  opportunity for ego inflation, but this was barely  the case.  The evening was about cognac tasting and ‘minimalistic’ fine dining.

The clicking of cutlery resounded through the rooftop as guests dug into their salmon entrées accompanied by a glass of premium Hennessey cognac. All dished were searved with a complimentary glass of cognac, whose strength, age and  caliber  kept going up a notch with every serving.

The climax of the evening came with an auction for a limited edition cognac bottle. The bottle was bought for USD 3500 which would go to a local charity of the buyers choice. 

“I am very happy with the event,” says Auriol, after the evening had wound down, “every thing from the food, to everyone’s dressing, to the general atmosphere. It was all just perfect.”