Globally, Hennessy is responsible for almost half of cognac volumes and that dominance is no different in the world’s best bars. Every year we’ve polled for the category, it has topped the bestsellers list and this year LVMH’s flagship cognac is the top-selling serve in over a third of bars and a top-three in more than two-thirds. With its position at the peak of the trending table too, its omnipresence doesn’t appear to dampen its appeal.
The top two brands make for common reading. Rémy Martin has been a regular feature in second place in this list since 2020 and remains the only brand putting pressure on the top spot. It was the house pour in almost a quarter of polled bars and a top-three option in 54%.
Ferrand returns to the bronze place and ensures again that our top four differs from the ‘big four’ cognac houses. The Maison Ferrand flagship beats Courvoisier and Martell by virtue of being the house pour in 13% of our bars – 5% more than the rival duo.
Hine, particularly its H by Hine expression, has been a hit with bartenders thanks to its focus on mixability and value. It proves itself here to be a good alternative option house pour in just 1% of our bars but a top-three in 9%.
Despite its origins, cognac these days isn’t seen too often on cocktail lists. According to our Cocktail Report, its most popular serve, the Sidecar, is only the 26th bestselling classic. But that doesn’t mean the category doesn’t have a place in the world’s most esteemed bars – 94% stock at least one brand and 72% have three or more.
How we did it
To collect the data we curate a 100-strong sample of bars from an even geographical split which have featured in recent editions of The Word’s 50 Best Bars (1-100) and Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards, plus regional awards such as North America and Asia’s 50 Best Bars and national awards such as the Class Bar Awards. To ensure the best global coverage, about 5% of the 100 were ‘editor’s picks’ – highly rated bars in regions less represented to assure a truly global data pool reflective of the current bar industry.
Of course, the panel rotates each year to not only ensure a fair and accurate set of results, but represent the current geography of the industry’s best bars year on year.
As part of the survey, we ask each bar owner or head bartender to revise their sales spreadsheets and rank the three bestselling products in each spirit, beer, wine and mixer category. A bestselling brand, even in the best bars in the world, earns its place on more than taste, so we also wanted to know the brands that are not necessarily doing huge volumes but are on trend. This is where the trending lists come in. Within these tables are the brands customers are increasingly asking for, perhaps because of word of mouth or even on bartenders’ recommendations. Often the brands that figure highly in the trending list move on to the bestselling list the following year, as curiosity and excitement transition to weight of sales.
To view the page-turner edition of the Brands Report click here.
The Brands Report will be serialised on drinksint.com throughout January.
