Moët Hennessy and the art of cognac: the legacy behind our most storied sponsor.

Some brands earn their place in a room through novelty. Others earn it through 260 years of unbroken commitment to a single standard of excellence. Hennessy, part of Moët Hennessy and the LVMH Group, is the latter. Here is the story behind the spirit sponsoring the 6th Annual Battle of the Babes Cocktail Competition.

Founded in 1765. Still setting the standard in 2026.

In 1765, Richard Hennessy, an Irish officer who had served in the French army, settled in the Charente region of France and established what would become the most recognized cognac house in the world. He was drawn to the region's exceptional eaux-de-vie and saw in them a product worthy of the global trade routes his military career had opened. What he could not have anticipated was that the house bearing his name would still be producing cognac 260 years later, still headquartered in Cognac, still drawing from the same river and the same Charentais copper pot stills, and still overseen by a Tasting Committee whose sole purpose is to ensure that every bottle reflects the full weight of that accumulated craft knowledge.

Hennessy is today the world's best-selling cognac and one of the most recognized spirits brands on earth. It sits within the Moët Hennessy portfolio, which is part of LVMH, the world's leading luxury group with more than 75 Maisons and 80.8 billion euros in revenue in 2025. The Wines and Spirits division of LVMH, which Hennessy anchors, represents 29 Maisons and 5.358 billion euros in revenue. In that portfolio, Hennessy carries more than its share of the legacy, the recognition, and the standard that defines what the division represents globally.

From grape to glass: what 260 years of savoir-faire actually looks like.

Every bottle of Hennessy begins in the vineyards of the Charente region, where grapes are harvested, pressed, and fermented before being distilled in traditional Charentais copper pot stills in a double-distillation process that produces the clear, potent spirit known as eau-de-vie. That eau-de-vie is then placed in French oak barrels to age, developing the color, complexity, and character that define each expression in the Hennessy range.

The Tasting Committee at Hennessy is one of the most rigorous quality control bodies in the spirits world. Their singular function is to ensure that every bottle released is worthy of the name on the label. In 260 years, that standard has not been lowered once.

What makes Hennessy's production process extraordinary is not any single step. It is the accumulation of steps, each governed by the same standard that Richard Hennessy set in 1765 and that every successive generation of the Maison has maintained, refined, and deepened. The Tasting Committee evaluates thousands of samples each year to select the eaux-de-vie that will be blended into each expression. The oldest of those eaux-de-vie are stored in the Hennessy paradis, a private cellar holding some of the rarest cognac reserves in the world. The youngest are the raw material of the accessible, vibrant expressions that have made Hennessy a global cultural institution as much as a spirits brand.

Hennessy's commitment to sustainable production is equally deliberate. The Maison has invested in environmental initiatives across viticulture, distillation, and logistics, recognizing that the terroir that makes Cognac's eaux-de-vie exceptional is worth protecting with the same seriousness as the craft that transforms them.

The range: from the classic to the rare.

Hennessy's collection spans accessible everyday expressions through rare collectibles that represent some of the most coveted spirits in the world. At Battle of the Babes, the brand brings its most beloved expressions to the rooftop. Understanding the range helps guests appreciate what is in the glass.

Hennessy V.S: Very Special. A blend of up to 40 eaux-de-vie, fruity and full-bodied. The most accessible expression and the world's best-selling cognac by volume. Bold enough for cocktails, honest enough for sipping.

Hennessy V.S.O.P Privilège: Very Superior Old Pale. Extended aging in French oak barrels produces a richer, rounder spirit with floral aromatics and spiced fruit. The expression that built Hennessy's reputation for versatility across both cocktail and neat pours.

Hennessy X.O: Extra Old. The flagship luxury expression, created in 1870 by Maurice Hennessy for his friends and family. Dried fruit, pepper, chocolate, and wood spice in a cognac that has defined the X.O category for over 150 years.

Hennessy Black: Lighter in color, fresh and crisp. Designed specifically for cocktail culture, Hennessy Black brings the Maison's craft to mixed drinks with a profile built for bartenders who want cognac's depth in modern formats.

Hennessy Paradis: Among the Maison's most prestigious expressions. A blend of rare eaux-de-vie from the private Paradis cellars, silky and complex, with a finish that reflects decades of patient aging in exceptional French oak.

Richard Hennessy: The ultimate expression of the Maison. Named for the founder, built from the oldest and rarest eaux-de-vie in the Hennessy reserve. A cognac that represents the fullest expression of 260 years of accumulated craft knowledge.

"Never stop. Never settle."

Hennessy's brand philosophy is not a marketing line. It is a description of what 260 years of sustained excellence actually requires. The Maison has never stopped refining its craft, never settled for a standard less than what the previous generation set, and never stopped expanding what cognac means culturally and creatively in the world.

That philosophy is why Hennessy's collaborations span fine art, music, sports, and cultural movements in a way no other spirits brand has replicated. From NBA partnerships to artist collaborations with Futura, KAWS, and LeBron James, to the current Hennessy Paradis x Lang Lang release, the Maison has consistently found the intersection between its own craft standard and the cultural forces shaping the world around it.

At Battle of the Babes, that cultural fluency is exactly what makes Hennessy the right brand in the room. This is not a spirits placement at a cocktail event. It is a Maison that has spent 260 years at the intersection of craft and culture, stepping into a room where craft and culture are precisely what is being celebrated.

The V.S in particular has become one of the defining spirits of hip-hop, R&B, and Black American culture more broadly, not through targeted campaigns but through genuine cultural adoption. The communities that built Hennessy's cultural authority in the United States over the past four decades are the same communities whose contributions to hospitality, cocktail culture, and creative industry this event exists to celebrate. That relationship is not incidental to why Moët Hennessy is here. It is central to it.

Current collaboration

Hennessy Paradis x Lang Lang — virtuoso pianist Lang Lang infuses his musicality into the iconic Hennessy Paradis decanter in a collaboration that represents the Maison's ongoing dialogue between its craft tradition and the world's most compelling creative voices. Available now at hennessy.com.

260 years of craft meets six years of community.

Battle of the Babes has been building its standard for six years. Hennessy has been building its standard for 260. What they share is not scale. It is the conviction that craft deserves a stage, that the people doing the work deserve recognition, and that the room you build around excellence matters as much as the excellence itself.

Three of this year's eight competitors are pouring Hennessy in their competition builds, choosing a spirit with 260 years of craft behind it as the foundation for something new and original they are bringing to that rooftop on September 27. That is what a great sponsorship looks like. Not a logo on a banner. A spirit in the hands of a competitor who chose it because it gave her the best foundation to build something worth winning with.

Moët Hennessy and the LVMH Group joining Battle of the Babes sends a signal that reaches beyond the event itself. It says that one of the world's most prestigious luxury groups sees in this competition, this community, and these competitors something worth standing next to. That is a statement. And on September 27, on the 19th floor of Merchant + Trade in Uptown Charlotte, it will be poured into a glass and served to a room that came specifically to taste what excellence looks like when it shows up with intention.

The 6th Annual Battle of the Babes Cocktail Competition is on September 27, 2026 at Merchant + Trade, 303 S Church St, Uptown Charlotte, from 5PM to 9PM. Eight competitors. Four sponsors, including Moët Hennessy. The 19th-floor rooftop. Entry, all 8 competition cocktails, heavy hors d'oeuvres, and a swag bag. Tickets are available now. The 5th Annual sold out. Do not leave this one too late.

HoCo builds the events and partnerships that give the hospitality industry something worth gathering around. If your brand is looking to align with an experience whose reach and mission run this deep, the conversation starts here.