Buffalo Trace owner Sazerac has agreed to acquire U.K.-based, ready-to-drink cocktail brand Au Vodka for an undisclosed amount, the company confirmed in a statement to Food Dive.
The deal further builds out Sazerac’s RTD portfolio and the company’s business in the U.K., which it called an “important market” for the spirits maker. The transaction is expected to close in the coming weeks, the company said.
“Sazerac works continuously to grow its business by investing in brands and building out its portfolio globally to connect with consumers,” Sazerac said in a statement.
Au Vodka is a top-selling canned vodka brand in the U.K., founded by friends Charlie Morgan and Jackson Quinn in 2015. DJ Charlie Sloth later came onto the company as an investor. The brand garnered attention after YouTuber Jake Paul got a tattoo of the brand.
The brand entered the U.S. in 2022, selling 50,000 bottles in the first week. The brand is available online in 35 states and in stores in eight.
The BBC reported Au Vodka is eying even further expansion in the U.S. A deal with Kentucky-based Sazerac could realize those ambitions.
Best known for its gold packaging, Au Vodka offers flavor-infused spirits and canned cocktails in flavors including red cherry, blue raspberry and peach.
Sazerac has been on a recent deal-making streak, with a bulk of its acquisitions centered on ready-to-drink cocktails, a bright spot in an otherwise uneven alcohol market. So far this year, Sazerac has bought Dirty Shirley and a stake in Sipmargs.
The spirits giant has also leveraged its existing brands to broaden its RTD portfolio through innovation, announcing three new canned cocktails this summer.
