William Grant & Sons has announced that it has acquired the Drambuie Liqueur Company Limited which owns the Drambuie whisky liqueur brand. The price was not disclosed but in earlier press reports of the company being put up for sale, analysts estimated that the liqueur is worth around £100 million. Drambuie is produced by Suntory’s Scotch whisky arm Morrison Bowmore Distillers.
“Drambuie is a very natural addition to our company’s portfolio of premium consumer led brands which include Glenfiddich and The Balvenie single malt Scotch whiskies, Tullamore D.E.W. Irish whiskey, Grant’s blended Scotch whisky, Hendrick’s gin and Sailor Jerry spiced rum,” said Wm Grant in its announcement.
“We have a passion and a reputation for nurturing and building brands. Drambuie is a natural fit for our portfolio, it has a very rich history and a great story to tell and we are delighted to be in a position to start to re-engage with existing drinkers and to connect the brand with an entirely new generation of consumers,” said company Chief Executive Stella David.
Drambuie’s CEO, Michael Kennedy commented: “We are pleased to complete this process with William Grant & Sons, a company who holds true those family values which will help nurture Drambuie to begin its next chapter of growth. As part of the William Grant & Sons stable of brands, we believe that Drambuie can truly achieve its potential as it will benefit from being part of a larger and more diverse organization. I look forward to working with the William Grant & Son’s team as we smoothly integrate the acquisition and help realize the benefits for both companies.”
A family spokesperson for William Grant & Sons commented: “We have always been secret admirers of Drambuie. We are very grateful to the MacKinnon family for entrusting the future of this iconic brand to our family, and we will do our best to make them proud in the decades ahead.”
Drambuie is a blend of aged Scotch whisky, spices and heather honey with a history going back to 1745.
