Cocktail stories: Champs-Élysées 2.0
Hennessy aims to revive a classic Cognac cocktail to celebrate an iconic Parisian avenue, with a 2026 twist.
*This feature was first published in the February issue of The Spirits Business magazine.
We’ve all heard of a house cocktail, but a street cocktail is a little less common. In fact, there’s only one we can think of: the Champs-Élysées, which last year celebrated its 100th birthday.
The first appearance of the Champs-Élysées was in Drinks – Long & Short by Nina Toye and A.H. Adair, published in 1925. However, like many classic cocktails, the drink became solidified in mixology history when it was included in Harry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book. Sadly, unlike chaptermates the French 75 and the Sidecar, the Champs-Élysées has gradually fallen out of popularity.
To celebrate its anniversary, the Comité Champs-Élysées – which represents the avenue in Paris – worked with Maison Hennessy to revive this piece of Parisian heritage and “reconnect it with today’s tastes”. It called on Hennessy’s mixologist, Adama Ballo, to adapt the recipe, which is being served in the bars, brasseries and hotels along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées.
The original cocktail featured Cognac, Chartreuse, lemon juice, and bitters, but Ballo has swapped green Chartreuse for its mellower sibling. “I’m using yellow Chartreuse, which is smoother and lighter than the green one because I was looking for an aromatic profile – fruitier than the classical version,” he says, adding that it also creates a brighter coloured cocktail.
The newly updated cocktail also features apricot liqueur and verjus instead of sugar syrup and lemon. “Their role is to keep the sweetness of the original, with the fruity apricot taste and texture of the liqueur instead of sugar syrup,” he explains. “The verjus strengthens the grape of Hennessy VS – it’s all about fruitiness.”
The two cocktails are, of course, very similar. “They have the same structure, but they’re really different in their style and aromatic profiles,” Bello explains. “Champs-Élysées 1925 is an unbelievably well-balanced, powerful, sour, herbal, and bitter cocktail, and also a timeless one. Hennessy Champs-Élysées 2.0 has the same balance, with a fruity taste of apricot and grape, and a less bitter note – this seems trendier to me these days.”
Cocktail Champs-Élysées 2.0
Ingredients
40ml Hennessy VS
10ml Yellow Chartreuse
15ml Apricot liqueur
20ml Verjus
1 Dash Peychaud’s bitters
Garnish: Edible pansy
Method
Combine all ingredients except garnish in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until well chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe, and garnish with an edible pansy.
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