Yesterday (28 September), Corby Distilleries, which is majority-owned by Pernod Ricard, announced the planned sale of a raft of non-core spirits brands – and a production facility in Canada – to The Sazerac Co for US$32.9m. Here, just-drinks takes a closer look at Sazerac.

  • The Sazerac Co is a US privately-held, family-operated alcoholic beverages company with headquarters in the state of Louisiana. It owns and produces a portfolio of beverage brands, including Tortilla Tequila, Desert Island iced tea, Kapali coffee liqueur, Ryans Irish creams, Fire Water Schnapps, Glenmore vodka and Denaka vodka.
  • Sazerac also owns and operates a number of distilling companies, including the Tom Moore Distillery and Buffalo Trace Distillery, both in Kentucky, and the A Smith Bowman Distillery in Virginia.
  • In October 2006, Sazerac acquired two Canadian whisky brands – Rich & Rare and Royal Canadian Whiskey – from Pernod Ricard for an undisclosed sum.
  • In March 2009, Sazerac purchased Constellation Brands’ “value” spirits business for a total of US$334m. The portfolio included Barton whiskey, Skol vodka, Mr. Boston whiskey, Fleischmann’s vodka, the 99 schnapps line, the di Amore liqueur line, Chi-Chi’s pre-mixed cocktail line and Montezuma Tequila.
  • Earlier this month, the company made 32 additions to its spirits portfolio with the purchase of a raft of brands from White Rock Distilleries in the US. Included in the sale were the Tortilla, Desert Island, Kapali, Ryans, Fire Water, Ice 101, Barbarossa, Ice Box and Mt Royal brands.
  • Included in yesterday’s transaction with Corby Distilleries, was 17 brands including De Kuyper Geneva gin, Grand Duke and Red Tassel vodkas and Silk Tassel Canadian whisky. Sazerac will also pick up Corby’s Montréal-based manufacturing facility where a significant portion of the brands are produced. The transaction is expected to close on 31 October.

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