French Cognac Courvoisier Surges in Sales after Hip-Hop Song Hits Charts.

By Julie Fishman-Lapin, The Stamford Advocate, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Mar. 31--When hip-hop mogul Busta Rhymes recorded "Pass the Courvoisier" with fellow hip-hop star Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, the hit song single-handedly changed the audience for fine cognac.

Courvoisier, the French cognac that was a favorite of the French Emperor Napoleon, became an immediate hit among hip-hop fans in the United States. Immediately after the song hit the charts two years ago, sales of Courvoisier swelled close to 30 percent, said Dave Karraker, vice