[6] Hennessy pioneered several industry-standard practices in the world of cognac, and its association with luxury has made it a regular point of reference in popular culture, especially in hip hop.

He retired to the Cognac region, and began distilling and exporting brandies, first to Britain and his native Ireland, closely followed by the United States.

It was one of the first marques to sell bottles rather than casks of cognac, a process that helped it survive the Great French Wine Blight in the mid-nineteenth century.

[5] Maurice Hennessy also created the XO ("extra old") designation in 1870, for cognacs which had undergone prolonged cask maturation.

[17] The so-called "LVMH affair" was so controversial in France that French President François Mitterrand referenced it in a televised address.

gradings, which make up the majority of its sales, Hennessy is known for expensive specialist cognacs, some of which are still blended by the Fillioux family.

[5] Limited editions of Hennessy can contain more than one hundred different eaux-de-vie, some of which can be centuries old; they are traditionally accompanied with luxurious trimmings such as custom-made boxes and hand-blown carafes.

[20] A bottle of Richard Hennessy, for example, is priced at around USD$7,000, and comes in a Baccarat crystal decanter with matching glasses, a fusil, and a tray, all designed by the architect Daniel Libeskind.

[21] Since 2009, Hennessy has released a number of collectible editions to mark anniversaries, special occasions, or collaborations with artists, designers and organisations, such as the NBA.

[22] It has collaborated with Zhang Enli, Les Twins, Refik Anadol, Kaws and Marc Newson among others.

[14] The company has launched a number of new products aimed at this on-premises market, including Pure White, Hennessy Black[23] and Fine de Cognac, and promoted them accordingly.

[28][31] Some notable examples include "KC Tea" (2010) by Tech N9ne,[32] "Hennessey" (2004) by 2Pac,[33] "Hennesey n Buddah" (2000) by Snoop Dogg,[34] "Hennessy" (2021) by Kodoku,[35] "Love Scars" (2017) by Trippie Redd,[36] "We Be Burnin'" (2005) by Sean Paul,[37] "Boombayah" by K-pop group Blackpink,[38] "Hennessy and Sailor Moon" (2016) by Yung Lean,[39] "The Humpty Dance" (1990) by Digital Underground,[40] "Pass Me Da Green" by Master P (1997),[41] "Moodz" by Blackbear, "Red Bull & Hennessy" by Jenny Lewis,[42] "6 Inch" by Beyoncé,[43] "Blame It" by Jamie Foxx,[44] "Henny & Gingerale" by Mayer Hawthorne,[45] "N.Y. State of Mind" by Nas, "Heaven & Hennessey" by Nana, "Whistle" by D-Block Europe,[46] "Better Now", "Pain" by 2Pac and "Rockstar (ft. 21 Savage)" by Post Malone.

[50] The Rap duo Mobb Deep also wear Hennessy jerseys in the music video for their 1995 hit single "Shook Ones (Part II)".