Richard Hennessy, a captain in the Irish regiments under Louis XV, arrived in Cognac in 1760. Tasting the local elixir, he found it awfully good; so good that he set himself up in the city. The storerooms stretch across both sides of the Charente: the architects Marcel Oudin in 1929, Jean-Michel Wilmotte in 1996 then Benjamin Graindorge designed the various buildings and spaces. The itinerary was completely revamped in 2017, and is thorough and instructive.