When the lovely Brigitte, my Ambassador of Libations, sent over Pharrell’s champagne kit, I was positively bubbling with joie de vivre. Bubbly has my heart. Pharrell has my playlist. This pairing had my name all over it.
Some bottles arrive with instructions. This one arrives with a summer soundtrack!
Best Kept Montréal got a sneak peek at the latest chapter of Moët & Chandon’s collaboration with Pharrell Williams, and the mood is immediately understood: sunshine, beautiful design, your favourite people, and absolutely no reason to wait for a birthday. With the collaboration now available at the SAQ a little Riviera energy is coming considerably closer to home.
Three ice cubes, zero plane tickets!
Our boarding pass? Optional. Three ice cubes? Essential.
For summer 2026, Pharrell and Moët & Chandon take their creative conversation south to Saint-Tropez. It is a fitting destination for a collection built around the pleasure of getting together: long afternoons, open collars, and conversations that continue well after someone was supposed to leave.
Their partnership began in 2025 with a colourful rethink of birthday celebrations. Brut Impérial stepped out in Midnight Blue, Gold and Deep Red, while Nectar Impérial Rosé received a white wardrobe. This year, Ice Impérial joins the collection with a surprisingly understated entrance.
For the first time, the champagne sheds its signature white sleeve. The bottle is revealed, the design becomes simpler, and the attention shifts towards the experience unfolding around it.
There is something particularly appealing about that restraint. Pharrell has spent a career working across music, fashion and design, and here, the creative gesture is knowing what to take away. A beautiful bottle should feel comfortable on a table where people are actually having fun.
“I keep coming back to simplicity. Strip it back to what matters,” he explains in the announcement. “The bottle is simpler. The message is simpler.”
That philosophy extends to the pour.
Ice Impérial was created in 2011 specifically to be enjoyed over ice, inspired by a ritual Moët & Chandon observed in Saint-Tropez. The recommended serve is wonderfully straightforward: a large wine glass and three ice cubes.
According to the Maison, the champagne combines a blend led by Pinot Noir and Meunier with Chardonnay bringing finesse. Its profile leans into generous fruit, tropical notes and a rounded palate, supported by the richness of a demi-sec style. The ice is part of the intended experience, bringing freshness as the glass evolves.
We can already picture its Montréal setting: a rooftop table, linen catching the breeze, something delicious being passed around, and a playlist that deserves its own editorial. Saint-Tropez provides the inspiration; our city supplies plenty of personality.
He’s brought the banger of the Summer and now he’s bringing the bottles!
Over in France, the campaign also comes to life through Moët & Chandon’s French Kiosks. The food follows the same sunny logic, with sweet and savoury interpretations of the iconic Tropézienne brioche. One plays alongside Ice Impérial’s fruity generosity; the other accompanies the freshness and structure of Brut Impérial.
There is even a cocktail for anyone feeling adventurous. Cellar Master Benoît Gouez’s “Spicy Mangosé” brings together Ice Impérial, mango, agave and a touch of cayenne, finished with the Maison’s Signature Ice Pearls. Tropical sweetness with a little attitude feels entirely at home here.
What caught our attention in this preview was how naturally the collection connects design with hospitality. The bottle has visual presence, certainly, but the invitation is easy to understand: make room at the table, put something good on, and enjoy the people who showed up.
Montréal likes an encore: those October days when August warmth slips back into town. Save your bottle for that final rooftop moment.
For Montréal hosts, collectors and champagne lovers, the SAQ arrival offers a chance to bring that idea home. Check your local selection for the Pharrell Williams edition, gather your favourite company, and give an ordinary afternoon a little more intention.
Summer may have a closing date on the calendar. A good gathering has always been rather less interested in following it.
We’ll bring the playlist! Speaking of playlists… have you checked out Sample?
