Dive Brief:
- William Grant and Sons has acquired Drambuie Whiskey Co. for an undisclosed sum.
- Drambuie was owned by the MacKinnon family, but is produced and bottled by Morrison Bowmore Distillers, an arm of Japan's Suntory. It is unclear who will handle production in the future.
- The sale was widely expected, but speculation was that the most likely buyer would be either Suntory or rival Diageo.
Dive Insight:
We have nothing against Suntory, Diageo or any of the other major players of the alcohol industry, but we'll take it as good news that Drambuie is going to William Grant and Sons and not one of the global giants. Because WG&S is an independent, family-owned operation based in Scotland, just like Drambuie, and is the maker of top-shelf scotch Glenfiddich.