Hennessy's New Very Special Cocktails Are Not For The Faint Of Heart, But They're Good

The onslaught of new ready-to-drink (or in this case, ready-to-serve) cocktails has no end. Fresh off the heels of sampling Svedka's new vodka water lineup, I find myself testing Hennessy's brand-new bottles of Very Special Cocktails, a seemingly promising entry to the brand and the RTD space as a whole. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'll say it again: To make an impact in this space, a company's offering needs uniqueness and a clear identity. Did Hennessy deliver?

That's what I set out to find out today when I sampled all of the offerings in this new lineup: Rita, Iced Tea, and Berry, all Cognac-based cocktails that draw inspiration from some classic go-to concoctions. The concept is intriguing enough to inspire me to buy one straight off the shelf — the biggest question is, would I be compelled to return to these drinks? Keep reading for my verdict. 

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

I'm no stranger to ready-to-drink/ready-to-serve (RTD/RTS, respectively) retail options, so I'm well-versed enough to say whether these are valuable additions to the industry. To make a name for themselves, they need to taste good (obviously) and offer something new — I don't want to be reminded of other RTD/RTS beverages when I have these.

Everyone's palate is different, so while I'll definitely have my own opinion of the beverages, I'll also highlight what kind of consumer they'd be ideal for and who may not enjoy them as much. One thing that struck me from the get-go was that each bottle is between 18%-20% ABV — Hennessy certainly didn't skimp on the good stuff here!

Hennessy's Henny Rita was the most familiar of the three bottles — the margarita inspiration was clearly there, but the use of cognac shook things up a little bit. If a twist on the classic margarita sounds intriguing to you, you'd be remiss not to give this a try. It was approachable enough that I didn't need to adapt to it, and intriguing enough to keep me sipping. 

Perhaps my favorite quality of the Rita is that it was impeccably smooth. There was virtually no alcohol burn at the end (despite its substantial ABV), and the lime flavor was apparent without being too mouth-puckering. This drink would be made even better with a salted rim — alas, I didn't have any on hand when I tried this. All in all, the Rita was a remarkably good expression of what I look for when trying new RTS beverages, and the novel twist on the classic cocktail makes this a bottle worth buying. 

If you're a fan of black iced tea, there's a good chance you'll love Hennessy's Henny Iced Tea cocktail. That said, I'm not the biggest iced tea gal in the world, so this wasn't my favorite of the lineup (this is where some necessary objectivity comes into play!). I can definitely appreciate it for what it is, though — a nice, refreshing, spiked twist on a favorite summer beverage. 

The cocktail is a little sweet and a little lemony, and the cognac (though present) isn't too strong. The spirit also brings a subtle, fruity quality into the equation, which I quite enjoyed. If you have a bottle of Hennessy Very Special and some black iced tea on hand, it's worth trying the combo for yourself before you buy a bottle; of course, if it sounds like something you'd enjoy, feel free to dive straight in. 

Fruity mojitos (like a frozen blueberry one) are no novel invention, so I had some expectations going into this particular tasting. My expectations were mostly subverted. While that's not a bad thing in the slightest, the drink left me a little curious after my first sip — mostly because I wouldn't have identified the cocktail's mojito-inspired roots on my own. 

The only thing indicating that this is based on a mojito is a very subtle hint of mint in the background of the beverage. Other than that, it tasted bright, juicy, and definitely alcoholic — in fact, I'd say the alcohol was stronger here than in either of the other two beverages. Still, I liked it for what it was, and I'll gladly have it again, but it loses some points in the "familiarity" category. I could see that being a drawback for some consumers. 

Overall, I think Hennessy's Very Special Cocktails are worth getting some attention in the RTD/RTS space. Each is vastly different from the next, which is a strength for the lineup — it means that every consumer is likely to find at least one bottle that appeals to them. The bottles aren't subtle about being alcoholic, though. They are definitely strong.

The Henny Rita is by far the most familiar beverage, while the Henny Iced Tea offers a comforting sipper, and the Henny Berry manages to be pretty unique in its own right. I'd probably pick up the Rita again if I just needed something to keep on hand for myself; if I wanted to entertain a crowd, though, I wouldn't hesitate to have all three on hand. If you, too, are hunting the RTD space for some unique buys, each of these is worth trying at least once. 

Henny Rita and Henny Iced Tea both sit at an 18% ABV, while Henny Berry sits at 20% (which could very well account for its more potent alcohol taste). All flavors come in 375 milliliter bottles. The lineup is available in certain U.S. retailers as of June 2026, and we're not sure how long it'll be around. That is to say, snatch them up if you see them, and they sound appealing. The suggested retail price for the bottles is $15.99, though prices may vary by location.