US alcohol giant Constellation Brands has offloaded American brandy and Bourbon maker Copper & Kings to local spirits group Bourdon Spirits Company.
The financial terms of the deal, which was finalised yesterday (5 August), were not disclosed.
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In a statement, Bourdon Spirits Company said the acquisition “marks a key milestone and deepens Bourdon Spirits’ investment in the future of American brandy”.
Production will continue at Copper & Kings’ distillery in Kentucky following the acquisition, the family-run business said.
Like Copper & Kings, Bourdon Spirits Company is also based in Louisville.
“We plan to build on Copper & Kings’ legacy by honoring its roots and continuing to do things our own way, just as the brand always has,” Rob Bourdon, the founder of Bourdon Spirits Company, said.
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By GlobalData“This is a brand that respects tradition while creating with a distinct, American-made spirit. We’re excited to bring American brandy to more people, in more places.”
Just Drinks has asked Constellation Brands to comment on the deal.
The Pacifico brewer first took a minority stake in Copper & Kings in 2018. It then acquired the business through its incubator arm, Constellation Ventures, in 2020.
In December, Constellation sold Svedka vodka to Buffalo Trace and Southern Comfort owner Sazerac.
At the time, Constellation said the deal was another move to focus on “higher-end wine and spirits brands”.
In April, Constellation sold six wine brands, including Woodbridge, Meiomi and Cook’s, to The Wine Group.
In 2022, the group sold another clutch of brands to The Wine Group, such as Cooper & Thief, 7 Moons and The Dreaming Tree brands.
Constellation still retains presence in wine, with brands like Robert Mondavi Winery, New Zealand’s Kim Crawford and Italy’s Ruffino Estates, which, at the time, it said were “predominantly priced $15 and above”.
The Rochester-headquartered business has been facing hurdles in its Wine and Spirits division for some time now. The segment saw organic net sales decline 6% in the company’s fiscal 2025 to $1.7bn.
In its first quarter of its 2026 fiscal year, Constellation saw a 21% decline in organic net sales for its wine and spirits business at $280.5m. The company has forecasted organic net sales for the unit to drop 17% to 20% in the full-year, and expects organic operating income from the wine and spirits unit to slump 97% to 100%.
