Rémy Martin’s Louis XIII cognac brand has unveiled a first-of-its-kind retail location—encompassing a boutique and salon spanning approximately 1,400 square feet in Beijing’s upscale SKP mall. Designed by Paris-based RDAI, the space “allows us to connect with and better understand luxury clients directly, the same way top fashion houses have been able to for decades,” says Ludovic du Plessis, Louis XIII’s global executive director, with tastings and food pairings and a room available for limited-edition previews and private events. Materials evoke the spirit’s history: limestone for the chalky Grand Champagne terrain where the grapes grow; copper nodding to stills; cask-referencing oak; and glass and crystal that call to mind luxurious decanters. But the boutique’s highlight, du Plessis says, is the floor-to-ceiling Century Wheel, where illuminated beads represent each of the 100 years it takes cellar masters to craft the aqua vitae—a blend of up to 1,200 eaux-de-vie brandies. “When guests activate the sensors on the wheel, it illuminates 1,200 glass bricks around the walls in 10 color hues, from white through gold and deep amber, representing the shifting colors of Louis XIII cognac as it ages.”