I Got My Hands on Hennessy’s New Henny Rita—And It Missed the Mark for Me
Just in time for the holiday weekend, Hennessy has released a trio of ready-to drink cocktails. The new additions from the cognac brand include Henny Rita, Henny Berry, and Henny Iced Tea. The ABV for each cocktail is close to around 20% and they retail for around $17.99 for a 350 ml bottle.
Here’s a brief description of each offering:
Henny Iced Tea - Cognac based iced tea-inspired cocktail.
Henny Berry - Cognac based berry mojito-inspired cocktail.
Henny Rita - Cognac based margarita-inspired cocktail.
The Henny RTD cocktails have already been receiving a bit of mixed reviews online. One person even shared that the Henny Berry flavor tastes like cough syrup.
Since I was able to get my hands on the Henny Rita flavor, I had to chime in with my own two cents. Read ahead for why I won’t be reaching out for another bottle of Henny Rita anytime soon.
ReserveBar
The Scent Test
First off, upon taking a whiff of the Henny Rita it seemed nearly identical in scent to those cheap bottles of margarita mix you buy at the liquor store. It smelled like generic lime and a bunch of sugar. This should have served as an indicator as to where things were about to go.
The First Sip
I tried the Henny Rita straight from the bottle at room temp. Later on, I sampled it with ice. I felt like I would get a truer taste for the cocktail without diluting it. Soooo, about that margarita mix smell? Yeah, it definitely transferred to the drink. The artifical lime flavor was pretty strong and it was fairly on the sweet side. There was just a teeny weeny hint of cognac .
As far as the Henny Rita on ice, I was shocked at how quickly it tasted watered down. Overall, adding ice didn’t unlock any particular flavor notes. It just tasted a tad more underwhelming.
Would I Buy It Again?
Overall, I wasn’t impressed. I’ve had far better margarita RTDs. So no, I wouldn’t buy it again. You’re truly better off getting a bottle of Hennessy and making your own Hennessy marg with fresh lime, agave syrup, and orange liqueur. And if you’re not up for the task of squeezing limes, you can always buy a premium margarita mix. Trader Joe’s has a pretty good Organic Margarita Mix.
Although I wouldn’t buy the Henny Rita again, I’m still willing to give the Henny Berry and the Henny Iced Tea a try.