British artist Damien Hirst is known to stir controversy, ever since the days of slicing up cows and sticking them in formaldehyde. Then of course came his notorious For the Love of God piece, an ancient human skull embedded with 8,601 diamonds, including a big pink one worth more than $8 million. That skull ended up selling for $100 million (or did it?). His latest work of art is less controversial and more in line with my kind of genuine interest. Hirst has designed a bottle label and box for a limited edition run of Somerset’s 20 year old Cider Brandy. With a contemporary spin on the design, Hirst has managed to use his art for good. Five hundred in total are set to be released and 10 of them are headed to auction for charities. One of those bottles will be given to Sir Graham Watson of South West Labor MEP, the man responsible for lending his hand in acquiring the bottle’s Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status from the European Union last month. The status protects the reputation of regional items and allow producers the opportunity to obtain premium price for their authentic products. Hmmm… sounds an awfully like a Nucky Thompson-esque kickback if you ask me…

via Born Rich and The Independent