Hennessy facts for kids
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| Founded | 1765 |
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| Founder | Richard Hennessy |
| Headquarters | Cognac, France |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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Laurent Boillot, Chairman & CEO; Boris de Vroomen, International Director |
| Products | Cognac |
| Revenue |  €954.2 million (2012) |
| Owner | LVMH (66%) Diageo (34%) |
Hennessy is a famous French company that makes a special kind of brandy called cognac. Its main office is in Cognac, France.
Hennessy is one of the most well-known cognac makers in the world. Along with other big names like Martell, Courvoisier, and Rémy Martin, they make almost half of all the cognac sold globally. Hennessy sells about 102 million bottles each year, making it the biggest cognac producer. In 2017, about 60% of all cognac sold in the US was Hennessy. Besides making its own spirits (called eaux-de-vie), the company also buys and sells spirits from others.
Hennessy is part of a larger company called Moët Hennessy. This company is owned by two big groups: LVMH (66%) and Diageo (34%). Hennessy was a leader in creating many common practices in the cognac industry. It is known for being a luxury brand and is often mentioned in popular culture, especially in hip hop.
Contents
The History of Hennessy Cognac
The Hennessy cognac company was started in 1765 by Richard Hennessy. He was an Irish military officer who had served in the French army. After leaving the army, he moved to the Cognac region of France. There, he began making and selling brandies. He first sold them to Britain and Ireland, then quickly to the United States.
In 1813, Richard's son, James Hennessy, named the company Jas Hennessy & Co. He also chose Jean Fillioux to be the company's Master Blender. A Master Blender is like a chief artist who mixes different spirits to create the final cognac. A member of the Fillioux family has held this important role ever since. This special business relationship has lasted for eight generations and over 250 years!
Hennessy's Rise to Global Leader
Hennessy became the world's top seller of brandy in the 1840s. It has kept this position ever since. By 1860, one out of every four bottles of cognac sold around the world was Hennessy.
Hennessy also created many rules and ways of doing things that are now used across the whole cognac industry. For example, it was one of the first companies to sell cognac in bottles instead of large barrels. This helped the company survive a plant disease that affected many vineyards in the mid-1800s.
Creating Cognac Grades
Hennessy was also the first cognac company to use star ratings. They also created the special names like V.S.O.P. and XO. Today, most other cognac makers use these same terms.
The V.S.O.P. name was first used in 1817. This happened when the Prince Regent of Britain (who later became King George IV) asked Hennessy for a "very superior old pale" cognac. This description had been used for other drinks before.
Maurice Hennessy, Richard Hennessy's grandson, then created a star-based system in 1865. This system helped show the quality and age of cognacs. It was the main way to grade cognac until the 1960s. Maurice Hennessy also created the XO ("extra old") name in 1870. This was for cognacs that had been aged for a very long time in wooden barrels.
Modern Hennessy and LVMH
In 1944, Kilian Hennessy, a direct descendant of Richard Hennessy, started helping run the business. Kilian helped make Hennessy a global brand. He traveled to places like Ireland, the United States, and Asia to promote it. He first visited China in 1946. China has since become the world's second-largest market for cognac.
Hennessy also became a key part of major luxury companies. In 1971, Kilian Hennessy led the company to join with Moët et Chandon. This created Moët Hennessy, which grew very successful. Moët Hennessy then joined with Louis Vuitton in 1987. This created the world's largest luxury brand company, known as LVMH.
Kilian Hennessy stayed on the company's advisory board until he passed away in 2010 at 103 years old. Today, Maurice-Richard Hennessy, an eighth-generation member of the family, is one of the brand's global ambassadors.
Since 2018, Hennessy has faced some challenges. These include increased demand, bottle shortages, and even frosts that affected production.
Marketing and Special Editions
Hennessy has the largest collection of cognac spirits in the world. They have over 470,000 barrels in their cellars. By blending and aging these spirits for different amounts of time, they create many distinct types of cognac. While their V.S and V.S.O.P. types make up most of their sales, Hennessy is also known for very expensive, special cognacs. Some of these are still blended by the Fillioux family.
Limited edition Hennessy bottles can contain spirits that are hundreds of years old. These special bottles often come with fancy extras. For example, a bottle of Richard Hennessy cognac costs around $7,000. It comes in a special crystal bottle with matching glasses, all designed by a famous architect.
Since 2009, Hennessy has released many collectible editions. These celebrate anniversaries, special events, or partnerships with artists and organizations like the NBA. They have worked with artists like Zhang Enli, Les Twins, Refik Anadol, Kaws, and Marc Newson.
Hennessy is also used in cocktails and mixed drinks. It is often served in nightclubs and bars. The company has launched new products for these places, like Pure White and Hennessy Black. The rapper Nas has also worked as a brand ambassador for Hennessy.
Hennessy is very popular among African Americans in the United States. Because of this, the brand has also supported initiatives related to black businesses and Black History Month.
Hennessy Products
- Hennessy V.S
- Privilége V.S.O.P
- Hennessy X.O
- Hennessy X.X.O
- Hennessy Master Blender's selection
- Hennessy Paradis
- Richard Hennessy
- James Hennessy
- Hennessy Paradis Imperial
- Hennessy 8
- Hennessy Timeless
- Hennessy Ellipse
- Hennessy Black
- Hennessy Pure White
- Hennessy Classivm
- Hennessy Fine de Cognac
Hennessy Literary Awards
Hennessy helps sponsor a writing competition called New Irish Writing. This competition is part of the Irish Independent newspaper. They also sponsor the yearly Hennessy Literary Award. This award has helped launch the careers of many famous Irish writers. Some of these include Joseph O'Connor, Colum McCann, and Anne Enright.
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See also
In Spanish: Hennessy para niños
