The Chronicle
Latest dispatches
17 results across all types
- news
Hennessy Launches RTD: A Margarita, an Iced Tea and a Berry Mojito in a Cognac Bottle
Hennessy enters the ready-to-serve market with three cognac cocktails: Henny Rita, Henny Berry and Henny Iced Tea. What they are, why these flavours, what the press says, and our take.
- news
Mexico and Cognac, 1826 to 2026
A 200-year history of the cognac trade between France and Mexico. Merchants, agents, locally bottled imitations, the Vidaurreta 1938 painting, the 1997 protection of the cognac name, and the EU-Mexico agreement signed in Brussels on 22 May 2026. With 17 archival images.
- news
Bourbon Meets Cognac: The Cask-Crossover Reshaping Brown Spirits in 2026
Bourbon brands are finishing in cognac casks. Cognac houses are finishing in bourbon casks. The 2026 US crossover guide, with the bottles to try first.
- news
Three Cognac Cocktails Nobody Has Made Yet
We set ourselves a small rule: invent three cognac cocktails that, as far as we can tell, have never been made before. We web searched every recipe. What survived is built around three landscapes of the Charentes: sea, hayfield, and forest.
- news
The Phantom Heist: Fake Trucks, Forged Papers, and the Looting of Cognac
Inside the brazen supply chain fraud targeting France’s most storied spirit trade On the morning of November 20, 2025, a truck pulled up to the loading dock of Maison Peyrat in Cognac, Charente. The driver was in his thirties and described by witnesses as “very convincing.” He had paperwork. Not rough forgeries, but near-perfect imitations [...]
- news
The Cognac Butler
From August 2023 to April 2025, Cognac-Expert.com operated one of the most specialised AI assistants in the spirits world: The Cognac Butler. This is the story of why we built it, what it could do, and what the query archive taught us about how people actually think about cognac. What Was The Cognac Butler? The [...]
- news
If Cognac Was A Movie (Cannes Festival 2026 Edition)
The Cognac Film Festival: 13 Films the Cognac World Would Make Every great cognac house has a story worth telling on screen. A founder who crossed an ocean. A family split between tradition and ambition. A barrel hunter who found something he was never meant to find. A Norwegian who ended up in Jarnac. A [...]
- news
Age Statement in Cognac: It’s About Time
It is quite interesting to compare across spirit categories focusing on the notion of age, and how it is communicated on the bottle to the buyer. Scotch whisky makes wide use of the age statement, a statement of years aged in barrel which represents the age of the youngest whisky in the bottle. Rum too [...]
- news
Cognac Cream Soup: When French Brandy Meets the Art of Comfort
Cognac cream soup is real, and it is better than it sounds on paper. The first time someone suggested finishing a pot of cream soup with Cognac, I pictured a heavy hand and a boozy lunch. What you get, if you use a light touch, is something else entirely, a familiar bowl of comfort with [...]
- news
11 Best Small Producer XO Cognacs – A Family Tasting in our Warehouse
We shut the warehouse doors for a few hours, pushed aside a pallet of calendar boxes, and turned our Charente workplace into a makeshift tasting room.Eight of us around the table: Yes, we tasted in the midst of our Black Friday and Christmas madness. Eleven XO Cognacs, all from small or independent houses, all purchased [...]
- news
All About Cognac Cocktails – including 30 recipes
30 Cognac cocktails, expert mixing tips and answers to every FAQ—discover how to shake up classic and modern serves at home.
- news
All About Fruity Cognacs (+12 of the best)
Welcome to article 2 of 4 in the Cognac Expert educational series that explains the different seasons of Cognac. Here we discuss the summer aroma and taste trends that fall under the fruity Cognac banner. You can read the first in the series, All About Floral Cognacs, here. Whether you’re new to exploring Cognac or [...]
- news
Cognac Market Update 2025: Outlook, Key Growth Drivers & Future Trends
Recent Economic Trends Shaping Cognac in 2025 According to the International Monetary Fund’s April 2025 World Economic Outlook, global economic growth remains moderate, with forecasts of 3.2% for 2024 and 2025, but with significant variation by region. While this price isn’t a major acceleration, stability in key economies has supported ongoing demand in luxury categories, [...]
- news
The Independent Bottlers of Cognac & Armagnac
Independent bottlers are carving out a distinctive space in the Cognac and Armagnac world, introducing a fresh and dynamic approach to these classic French spirits. While the industry has long been defined by its traditions, family legacies, and established houses, independent bottlers bring a wave of originality, modernity, and boldness. By sourcing unique casks, emphasizing [...]
- news
Counterfeit Cognac: Protecting the Legacy of an Exquisite Spirit
The allure of Cognac, with its rich history and unparalleled craftsmanship, has captivated connoisseurs around the world for centuries. This prestigious spirit, produced exclusively in the Cognac region of France, embodies tradition, quality, and authenticity. However, the rising tide of counterfeit Cognac poses a significant threat to both consumers and the industry, undermining the integrity [...]
- news
Revitalizing Tradition: A Look at Recent Cognac Brand Redesigns
Cognac houses are steeped in history and tradition, but even the most storied brands recognize the need to evolve. Recently, several Cognac producers have undergone redesigns and rebrushes, updating their visual identities while staying true to their heritage. In this post, we’ll explore the changes made by Prunier, Guillon-Painturaud, Hine, Hardy, Martell’s Single Cru Collection, [...]
- news
Prunier XO: Reimagining a Classic | Cognac Expert Blog
Cognac has its Big four houses, the pillars for the spirit category which are present in every corner of the world. But if we ignore those houses, we are left with a multitude of small producers – negociants and grower-distillers – which form an elite and ultra qualitative tier of Cognac house. Cognac Prunier sits [...]
