Sazerac has acquired US ready-to-drink cocktail brand Dirty Shirley from local business Goodwell Brands.
The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Dirty Shirley is a vodka-based canned cocktail marketed as a “cheeky vodka-spiked take on the classic Shirley Temple”.
According to information on the brand's website, the product range includes Dirty Shirley Cherry Vanilla and Dirty Shirley Classic Cherry, both at 5.9% abv, as well as Dirty Shirley Extra Dirty, a higher-strength option at 12%.
Retail stockists include Walmart, Target, Safeway and Total Wine & More.
In a statement, Adam Kost, who set up Goodwell Brands in 2022 and launched Dirty Shirley the same year, said: “Sazerac is the perfect home for Dirty Shirley. They have the scale, expertise, and vision to take the brand to the next level and I have full confidence they will continue to build Dirty Shirley into an iconic name in the spirits industry.”
Privately-owned Sazerac is home to brands including Southern Comfort, Svedka vodka and BuzzBallz RTDs.
In the same statement, Sazerac CEO Jake Wenz said: “We are excited to make the Dirty Shirley brand a part of the Sazerac family. The brand has carved a unique space in the RTD category with their bold cocktails and distinct personality, and we're looking forward to continuing to build on the solid foundational work done by the brand to-date.”
Just Drinks has approached Sazerac for further information on the assets changing hands in the deal and Dirty Shirley's distribution in the US.
