Have You Heard of Guinnessy?

You can probably guess from the portmanteau what two drinks you combine to make one. Yep, Guinness and Hennessy.

The new serve caught traction on American TikTok before crossing the Atlantic, as lovers of both liquids fiercely protected the purity of their drinks, but some were ready to embrace the heresy. 

As you can see from our Guinness Recipe guide, it’s probably more versatile than you think and after The Three Drinkers in Cognac, we’re all up for trying cognac with everything, but how the two work together in reality?

Well, from the original TikTok it’s hard to say as it’s ‘shotgunned’ – a shotting technique in which the drink makes a whole in the bottom of the can, and in this case, pours the Hennessy in the top. He did seem to enjoy it though!

There are lovely stouts out there aged in cognac barres, and both cognac and Guinness are used in a tonne of different cocktails recipes, but we think that, on this occasion, all that malty sweetness and hoppy bitterness mixing with the fruity richness will only serve to ruin both drinks to be honest.

Still, we’re always up for mixology experimentation so you never know. Everything is down to personal taste so try it yourself! (‘shotgunning’ optional).

How Rap Fuelled the Cognac Comeback

In the 18th century, Cognac was so popular that smugglers literally could not meet demands for it, but as the 20th century rolled on, the luxurious drink fell out of favour and became a symbol of a bygone era. Even in France, whisky had replaced it as the king of sippers.

Slowly, it became known as the drink of old men, conjuring up images of stuffy clubs, dusty drinks cabinets and a kind of classical luxury that appealed to fewer and fewer people. As a result of this narrowing and ageing demographic, the 1990s brought economic issues to cognac houses and the surrounding region. Vines were being replaced, and a surplus supply filled the city’s cellars.

The 21st century looked bleak for cognac, that was until the world of rap and hip-hop got involved! Jay-Z’s, Can’t Knock the Hustle in 1991 was the first to mention a cognac brand by name, rapping, ‘sipping Remy on the rocks’ in reference to Remy Martin.  As the ‘bling era’ of rap dawned, the historic association of cognac with royalty and luxury set it on the path to being namechecked in plenty of other songs too.

In 2001, Busta Rhymes released Pass the Courvoisier II with P. Diddy and Pharrell… the latter of which who would later become an ambassador for Remy Martin. It is estimated that this song alone boosted Courvoisier sales by 30%!

2Pac, Snoop Dogg, you name it, they were all referencing cognac and cognac brands at the turn of the millennium and over a decade or so, the fortunes of the region had completely turned on its head.

Fans of American rap flocked to buy Hennessy and other brands, and these sales spikes spread across Europe too. New mixers like Coca-Cola and pineapple juice were popular, and rather than turn their nose up at this new image of cognac, it was embraced by the industry. To this day, the relationship exists with Martell announcing rapper Quavo as their brand ambassador in 2018.

Demand has never been higher for this historic drink, and if you want to learn more about the rich journey of cognac and the beautiful city itself, check out our Complete Beginners Guide here, or even better, tune in to The Three Drinkers in Cognac!