Updated June 2026.
A “fifth” of Hennessy is a 750 mL bottle — about 25.4 US fluid ounces, about 17 shots of 1.5 ounces. US Hennessy V.S is 40% ABV. Street prices for that 750 mL in 2026 commonly sit in the mid-$30s to high-$40s at national chains (Total Wine has listed V.S 750 mL at $39.99 in multiple states). Taxes, city, and whether the bottle is V.S, V.S.O.P, or X.O move the number. There is no TTB MSRP.
The word “fifth” is leftover from a fifth of a US gallon (~757 mL). Since the 1980 metric shift, the authorized consumer bottle is 750 mL (27 CFR 5.203).
Size first, then price
| Bottle | Volume | US shots (1.5 oz) | Std drinks at 40% | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mini | 50 mL | 1.1 | 1.1 | Airplane / mixer |
| Half-pint class | 200 mL | 4.5 | 4.5 | Authorized fill |
| Half | 375 mL | 8.5 | 8.5 | Half a fifth |
| Fifth | 750 mL | 16.9 | 16.9 | The bottle people mean |
| Liter | 1 L | 22.5 | 22.5 | Common in some states |
| Handle | 1.75 L | 39.5 | 39.5 | Party size |
V.S.O.P and X.O use the same 750 mL math at 40% ABV on standard US bottles and cost more because of age, not because they are stronger. X.O is often a few hundred dollars, not $40. White / Pure White Hennessy is a different product with a different US legal story — see why Pure White Hennessy is “illegal” if that is the bottle you meant. ABV table: how much alcohol is in Hennessy.
Why the internet still says “$50 a fifth”
Control states, city excise, and on-premise markups scatter prices. A bar charging $12 a shot is not a bottle shop. A duty-free 1 L is not a fifth. We are not going to invent a 50-state average. If a listing is $15 for authentic V.S 750 mL, treat it as a warning, not a bargain. For generic fifth math see how much is a fifth of alcohol.
Shots in the bottle do not change with the price tag. Seventeen 1.5-ounce pours is inventory. It is not a drinking plan. NIAAA binge drinking is four drinks in about two hours for women, five for men.
V.S vs V.S.O.P vs X.O on the same 750 mL
The glass bottle is the same fill. The juice is older. V.S.O.P 750 mL at US chains is commonly a step above V.S (often the $50s–$70s in recent retail listings, still not a mandated price). X.O jumps into hundreds of dollars because of the age statement, not because it is higher proof. A 1.75 L V.S handle, where sold, is 2.33 fifths by volume — 39.5 shots — and is usually cheaper per ounce than two 750s, with the same 40% ABV.
Control states print a posted price. Open states do not. Airport duty-free liters are 1,000 mL, not fifths. On-premise shot prices are markups, not a bottle shop. If the question is “how much Henny to get drunk,” that is ethanol math, not the shelf tag: how much Hennessy will get you drunk.
Henny, a handle, and the word fifth
People say “a fifth of Henny” the way they say “a handle of vodka.” The handle, when you can find Hennessy in 1.75 L, is 2.33 fifths of liquid and 39.5 drinks at 40%. It is not a bigger VSOP. Minis at 50 mL are 1.1 drinks and usually a terrible price per ounce. Counterfeits cluster around prestige cognac; a parking-lot deal that is “too cheap for VSOP” is not a bargain. Licensed retailer, intact tax stamp, label that says 40%. This magazine does not sell the bottle.
Sources
- 27 CFR 5.203: 750 mL authorized distilled-spirits fill (the modern “fifth”).
- Historical fifth of a gallon ≈ 757 mL; US bottled spirits moved to metric fills (750 mL) from 1980.
- US Hennessy V.S label: 40% ABV. Total Wine public listings for V.S 750 mL at $39.99 (store-level; not a mandated price).
- NIAAA standard drink: 1.5 oz of 40% spirits.