DRINKS IN THE DESERT: Clearly when you’re a liquor brand, there’s always a reason to celebrate. Hennessy Paradis had an obvious one, however, inviting a group of 40 friends and guests to Joshua Tree, California, to fete its newest — and first female — brand partner, Alicia Keys.
Held at Kellogg Doolittle House on Tuesday, the event began with a tour of the property by owner Scott Leonard, followed with toasts from Hennessy chief executive officer Laurent Boillot and senior vice president Jasmin Allen. Keys then, um, took to the keys for a private performance of five of her hits, including “Empire State of Mind” and “No One” before a three-course dinner prepared by James Beard semifinalist Chef Jesse Schenker.
The event followed the debut of the latest Hennessy Paradis global campaign, “Paradis(e) Is on Earth,” which, in addition to Keys, features famed pianist Lang Lang.