Courvoisier
French cognac house known for blends made from eaux-de-vie sourced across the Cognac region.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Courvoisier is a French cognac brand whose production and principal operations are based in Jarnac, in the Charente region of France. It is commonly grouped with Hennessy, Rémy Martin and Martell as one of the four major Cognac houses, although it is generally described as the smallest and youngest of that group. The brand traces its origins to 1796, when Emmanuel Courvoisier and Louis Gallois established a wine and spirits trading business in Bercy, then a suburb of Paris. The founders initially traded in cognac and other spirits before concluding that greater control over quality required moving closer to the source and becoming producers themselves. In 1828, Emmanuel Courvoisier’s son Félix and Louis Gallois’s son Jules moved the business to Jarnac, placing it in the heart of the Cognac appellation. The company’s château on the Charente River became the center of its operations and remains associated with the brand’s identity. Courvoisier later passed through family and private ownership, including management by the Curlier family and ownership by the Simon family of England from 1909. During the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, the brand was associated with Allied Domecq and subsequently with Beam Global, which became part of the wider Suntory spirits organization. Campari Group completed its acquisition of the company owning Courvoisier in May 2024. Courvoisier’s production model is distinctive within the major cognac sector. The house states that it controls the principal stages of production and blending but does not distill all of its own eaux-de-vie and has never owned vineyards. It sources and assembles eaux-de-vie from the Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies and Fins Bois crus. The house adapts its approach according to the origin and characteristics of individual eaux-de-vie rather than applying one uniform method to every vintage or regional component. Harvesting generally begins in October, while distillation takes place during the winter months. Maturation uses oak barrels, including oak associated with the Tronçais forest. The brand’s historical mythology is closely tied to the French imperial period. Napoleon I is said to have encountered Courvoisier cognac during his visits to Bercy, and later stories connected the brand with his exile on Saint Helena. Napoleon III subsequently granted Courvoisier the designation “Official Supplier to the Imperial Court,” a distinction still represented in the company’s museum materials. The Napoleon association has remained central to Courvoisier’s packaging, storytelling and visitor experience, although some elements are part of brand tradition and legend rather than independently verifiable historical fact. Courvoisier’s portfolio spans standard age classifications such as VS, VSOP and XO, as well as older, prestige and limited-edition expressions. Its best-known packaging development is the Joséphine bottle, introduced in 1951 and named after Napoleon’s first wife. With its broad lower body and narrow neck, the design became strongly associated with the house. The brand has also pursued collaborations and special releases involving artists and fashion designers, including Erté and Vivienne Westwood, and has experimented with cocktail culture, immersive events and digital advertising. Courvoisier remains an internationally distributed premium spirits brand operating from its historic Jarnac base.
History
Courvoisier began in 1796, when Emmanuel Courvoisier and Louis Gallois founded a wine and spirits trading business in Bercy, near Paris. The company’s early role was primarily commercial: it selected and traded cognacs from the surrounding regions. The founders later sought more direct control over quality and moved the business toward production in the Cognac region. In 1828, Félix Courvoisier and Jules Gallois relocated the operation to Jarnac. This move established the geographic identity that still defines Courvoisier. The business was installed in a château beside the Charente River, and the site remains linked to production, hospitality and the brand’s historical presentation. After Félix Courvoisier died in 1866, his nephews, the Curlier brothers, managed the company. In 1909, ownership passed to the Simon family of England, while operations continued in the Jarnac area. Courvoisier’s historical narrative became associated with Napoleon I and the French imperial court. Napoleon is reported to have visited the Bercy operation in 1811, while later tradition connected his consumption of the brand with his exile. Napoleon III granted Courvoisier the title of official supplier to the Imperial Court in 1869. The company continues to display imperial-era material in its Jarnac museum, but some Napoleon-related stories are preserved as brand legend rather than established documentary history. The house developed a model based on control of selection, maturation and blending rather than ownership of vineyards or complete in-house distillation. Courvoisier works with eaux-de-vie from four Cognac crus: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies and Fins Bois. The company describes its approach as adaptable to regional and vintage differences. Grapes are harvested in the autumn and distillation is conducted during the winter period. Maturation takes place in French oak barrels, with barrel wood associated with the Tronçais forest. The Joséphine bottle, launched in 1951, became one of Courvoisier’s most recognizable visual assets. Its distinctive silhouette helped establish a strong packaging code for the house and reinforced the Napoleon-era narrative. Courvoisier later broadened its brand activity through luxury collaborations, collectible packaging, cocktail education and experiential marketing. Erté designed a series of bottles in 1988 containing old Grande Champagne cognac, while a limited Courvoisier XO edition created with Vivienne Westwood appeared in 2005. Ownership changed several times during the modern spirits-industry consolidation period. Courvoisier was connected with Allied Domecq in the 1990s and later with Beam Global and the broader Suntory spirits organization. In December 2023, Campari Group agreed to acquire the company owning the brand, and the transaction was completed on 1 May 2024. Courvoisier therefore entered the Campari portfolio while retaining its historic Jarnac base and identity as a major French cognac house.
- 2024
Acquisition completed
[1]Campari Group completed the acquisition on 1 May 2024.
- 2023
Campari acquisition agreement
[1]Campari Group agreed to acquire the company owning Courvoisier.
- 2005
Vivienne Westwood collaboration
[1]Courvoisier released a limited XO edition designed with Vivienne Westwood.
- 1988
Erté limited-edition series
[1]Artist and designer Erté created seven limited-edition bottle designs containing Grande Champagne cognac.
- 1984
Prestige de la France recognition
[1]Courvoisier received the Prestige de la France distinction for product quality.
- 1951
Joséphine bottle launched
[1]Courvoisier introduced the Joséphine bottle, whose distinctive shape became a signature of the brand.
- 1909
Ownership passes to the Simon family
[1]The business was sold to the Simon family of England while maintaining its Jarnac production base.
- 1869
Imperial court designation
[1]Napoleon III granted Courvoisier the designation of official supplier to the Imperial Court.
- 1828
Move to Jarnac
[1]Félix Courvoisier and Jules Gallois moved the company to Jarnac in the Cognac region.
- 1811
Napoleon associated with the Bercy operation
[1]Napoleon I is documented in Courvoisier’s historical narrative as having visited Bercy; later stories linked him with the brand’s cognac.
Products and positioning
Premium French cognac positioned around heritage, imperial associations, regional eaux-de-vie, craftsmanship and celebratory cocktail culture.
Cognac
Courvoisier VS
The house’s Very Special expression, intended for accessible premium consumption and commonly used both neat and in mixed drinks. It represents the entry point to the core Courvoisier range.
Cognac
Courvoisier VSOP
A Very Superior Old Pale cognac positioned above VS, combining matured eaux-de-vie into a rounded expression suitable for sipping or cocktails.
Cognac
Courvoisier XO
An Extra Old expression positioned in the house’s premium range. It emphasizes longer maturation, richer texture and greater complexity than the younger core bottlings.
Cognac
Courvoisier Napoleon
A Napoleon-class cognac associated with the brand’s imperial heritage and positioned between standard aged expressions and older prestige releases.
Cognac
Courvoisier Mizunara
A special cognac expression incorporating Japanese Mizunara oak into the maturation or finishing story, connecting French cognac craftsmanship with a distinctive Japanese wood tradition.
Prestige cognac
L'Essence de Courvoisier
A prestige-level Courvoisier expression built around rare and highly aged eaux-de-vie and presented as a luxury, collectible bottling.
Age-statement cognac
Courvoisier 12 and Courvoisier 21
Age-designated expressions that communicate a more specific maturation profile than the traditional VS, VSOP and XO classifications. Availability and formulation may vary by market.
Marketing campaigns
- 2009Cognac with Another Dimension
United Kingdom · International
Courvoisier promoted a 3D advertisement for television and cinemas, using immersive visual presentation to modernize the communication of a heritage cognac brand.
Outcome. Positioned Courvoisier as an early adopter of 3D alcohol advertising.
- 2009Mixability
International
The Mixability promotion used a dedicated iPod application to show consumers how Courvoisier could be used in cocktails.
Outcome. Supported the brand’s shift toward cocktail education and mixed-drink occasions.
- 2009Architectural Punchbowl
United Kingdom
Courvoisier worked with Bompas & Parr on an immersive punchbowl installation involving a large structure and a punch made with Courvoisier.
Outcome. Created a theatrical experiential marketing event built around historical punch-drinking culture.
- First cognac television advertising
United Kingdom
Courvoisier was reported as the first cognac brand to appear in a television advertisement, with a UK broadcast said to have reached approximately nine million viewers.
Outcome. Established an early mass-media association for the brand.
Brand decisions
2023
Agreement to sell Courvoisier to Campari GroupM&ABackground
Campari Group pursued the acquisition of a major premium cognac brand.
Action taken
Campari Group entered an agreement to acquire the company owning Courvoisier.
Aftermath
The transaction closed in May 2024 and Courvoisier joined the Campari portfolio.
1951
Introduction of the Joséphine bottleOtherBackground
Courvoisier sought a distinctive visual identity connected to its Napoleon-era heritage.
Action taken
The house launched a bottle named after Joséphine, Napoleon’s first wife.
Aftermath
The silhouette became one of Courvoisier’s most recognizable packaging elements.
1828
Relocation to the Cognac regionStrategyBackground
The founders’ successors sought greater control over the quality and sourcing of cognac.
Action taken
Félix Courvoisier and Jules Gallois moved the business from Bercy to Jarnac.
Aftermath
Jarnac became the enduring production and headquarters base of the brand.
Recent events
Courvoisier launches “Pass the Courvoisier” campaign[2]
Reported:
Courvoisier launched “Pass the Courvoisier,” a global campaign featuring a short film and other advertising and live experiences. Campari Group said it is the Cognac brand’s first global campaign in nearly 20 years.
Courvoisier partners with National Urban League[3]
Reported:
Courvoisier partnered with the National Urban League to support Black and other underserved communities, including through initiatives for Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs.
Sources3 sources
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