LVMH has launched its Hennessy Cognac brand into the ready-to-serve market with a line of bottled cocktails in the US.
The products are the first RTS or RTD beverages sold under the Hennessy brand.
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In a statement, the company described the Hennessy Very Special Cocktails as “a modern, effortless way to enjoy its signature spirit”.
Made using Hennessy VS Cognac, the line has three SKUs: Henny-Rita, Henny Berry and Henny Iced Tea.
Henny-Rita and Henny Iced Tea carry an 18% abv while Henny Berry is 20%.
The drinks are available across the US from this month in “select retailers” and carry a suggested retail price of $15.99 for 375ml.
For comparison, Hennessy VS Cognac retails at $36.99 for a 750ml bottle at US retailer Total Wine & More.
Charles Delapalme, the president and CEO of Maison Hennessy, said the launch showed the brand’s “ability to innovate, to be well anchored in its time, to evolve with society, while remaining faithful to its unique Cognacs”.
Just Drinks had asked the group for further details on the products and the rationale for the launch but it had not responded at the time of publication.
Last month, Rémy Cointreau launched a ready-to-drink range under its Bruichladdich Scotch brand in the UK alongside RTD specialist Whitebox.
The range is made up of four SKUs: Dry Martini, White Negroni, Whisky Sour and Penicillin, and are priced at £6 ($6.96) per can and £20 for a four-pack.
According to Bruichladdich, the cocktails’ abvs are “significantly higher than typical RTD benchmarks”. The Dry Martini SKU for example, has a bottled 33.9% abv while The White Negroni is bottled at 21.8% abv.
Gareth Brown, the global marketing director at Bruichladdich, said: “The ready-to-serve category has evolved significantly, and there’s now a clear opportunity at the premium end for products that genuinely reflect the quality of the underlying spirit.”
