Hennessy MyWay 2026 returns, betting on eco-conscious serves

Hennessy has brought back its "Hennessy MyWay" global bartending challenge for 2026, opening registrations and putting sustainability and storytelling at the centre of this year’s brief – while quietly sharpening its brand presence behind the bar.

The 2026 edition once again requires cocktails to feature Hennessy V.S.O.P. as the key ingredient, with participants challenged to blend expressive, ritual-inspired serves with sustainable practices such as locally sourced ingredients, waste minimisation and reimagined by-products. Sustainability carries the highest weight in judging at 35 points, followed by drinkability and ritual serve at 25 points each, product knowledge at 10 points and appearance at 5 points.

From a marketing lens, the format effectively turns Hennessy V.S.O.P. into a canvas for bartenders, encouraging experimentation, menu features and social content built around the brand. By targeting the drinkmakers themselves, Hennessy is using competition mechanics to keep its liquid top of mind where it matters most: in the hands of the people writing cocktail lists and influencing what consumers order.

The Malaysian chapter was launched at Bar None in Kuala Lumpur, the latest venture from "Hennessy MyWay" alumni Raz Ng and Arsenio “Ash” Mariano. The event brought together the local mixology community and included a virtual introduction from Hennessy brand education director Julien Pepin-Lehalleur, as well as a sharing session with "Hennessy MyWay" 2025 Malaysian champion, now 2026 mentor, Oh Chong Hau.

Don't miss: Hennessy taps music and local creators for Malaysia-first CNY campaign 

“Throughout the competition, you receive constructive feedback and guidance, which really helps you to improve. The scoring focuses on your overall skills as a bartender, not just the final drink,” Oh said, adding that the challenge is open to bartenders at all levels who are willing to “think outside the box and put in the practice”.

Mariano has also returned as a mentor for the 2026 programme, with Hennessy positioning access to industry guidance and knowledge-sharing as a key part of the platform. This year’s edition will spotlight three national champions across Malaysia, Indonesia and either the Philippines or Vietnam, who will receive mentorship from Southeast Asian industry veterans and "Hennessy MyWay" alumni alongside guidance from the Maison.

For Hennessy, that layer of mentorship and community-building also functions as sustained brand engagement: bartenders are not just pouring the product, they are learning its story, experimenting with its versatility and building original serves around it.

The road to the global finals in Cognac, France, is structured in four phases: a video submission period; masterclasses and guest shifts in select SEA countries; the semifinals and regional finals in Malaysia; followed by the grand final. 

To enter, bartenders must register via the official "Hennessy MyWay" submission platform, post a one-minute cocktail video on a public social media account using the hashtag #HennessyMyWay, and submit the video link and full recipe — including sustainability and ritual-serve elements — by end April. Hennessy noted that video production quality is not scored, as long as the ritual serve and final drink appearance are clearly shown.

With every entry anchored in Hennessy V.S.O.P. and shared publicly on social, the competition also acts as a distributed content engine for the brand, generating bartender-led recipes and visibility in bar feeds and consumer timelines.

Hennessy is positioning MyWay as more than a competition, framing it as a platform to champion the next generation of bartenders through creativity, sustainability and storytelling, and to foster connection and collaboration across Southeast Asia and beyond. For marketers, it also underlines how structured competitions can double as trade marketing – keeping a legacy brand front and centre in an increasingly crowded back bar.

Earlier in January this year, Hennessy leaned into music, local talent and festive togetherness this Chinese New Year with the launch of an original single and music video created exclusively for the Malaysian market.

Titled "Raise for luck!" (好運乾一杯!), the campaign is inspired by Hennessy’s Chinese New Year 2026 tagline, “Gallop towards bright perspectives”, and channels the energy and optimism of the Year of the Horse. Blending contemporary sounds with familiar festive rhythms, the track positions Hennessy as the spark that brings people together during one of the most meaningful moments of the year.

According to Laura Drozdowski Lot, marketing director of Moët Hennessy Southeast Asia, the decision to produce a Malaysia-specific Chinese New Year music video was rooted in cultural relevance. She explained that Chinese New Year music videos remain a central part of local celebrations, making music a shared language that bridges generations.

Be part of #Content360 Malaysia, 13 May 2026, where creativity and community collide. Explore how AI-powered imagination, culturally resonant storytelling, and platform-savvy strategies are shaping the future of content. Gain practical insights, discover new tactics, and learn how the region’s top creators and brands are crafting campaigns that truly resonate

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