By Scott Wright
WILLIAM Grant & Sons, the owner of Glenfiddich single malt and Hendrick’s Gin, has expanded its global footprint with the acquisition of a tequila distillery in Mexico.
The Scotch whisky giant, which is routinely found in research to be Scotland’s most profitable family firm, purchased the production facility for its Milagro Tequila brand. It said the new distillery gives it scope to innovate while “protecting the long-term sustainability of the Milagro Tequila brand”. It did not disclose the value of the acquisition.
William Grant & Sons owns distilleries in New York and Ireland as well as around Scotland. It also operates a number of wholly-owned subsidiaries around the world in countries such as France, Australia, China, Colombia, Hong Kong, India, Korea and Taiwan, and in February announced plans to launch William Grant & Sons Deutschland for the German market.
Simon Hunt, chief executive of William Grant & Sons, said: “One of the many benefits of our unique family ownership is that it gives us the freedom to make the right choices for our long-term success. We have spent the last two years working on this plan to acquire our own distillery in Mexico, and we’re delighted we have found the right option for our business.
“We’re excited by this move to build a strong platform for further innovation that will help us take full advantage of global opportunities in the fast-growing premium tequila category. It demonstrates our commitment to investment in global growth despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.”
Meanwhile, The GlenAllachie Distillery owned by Billy Walker has unveiled a new limited-edition range of single malts. The whiskies have been finished in specially selected casks of different oak species from specific regions around the world. Released this month, The GlenAllachie Virgin Oak Series consists of three limited-edition 12 year-old single malt whiskies: the 12-year-old French Virgin Oak Finish, the 12-year-old Spanish Virgin Oak Finish, and the 12-year-old Chinquapin Virgin Oak Finish. Each has a recommended retail price of £59.99.
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