Campari Group has lined up the acquisition of Howler Head, a banana-flavoured Bourbon, through the purchase of a minority stake in the brand.
The company, which owns the Wild Turkey Bourbon brand, will pay US$15m to Catalyst Spirits for a 15% holding in Howler Head. The transaction also includes a call option for full ownership that comes into play in 2025.
Campari will also assume global distribution rights as part of the stake purchase.
With an SRP in the US of US$29.99 per 750ml bottle, Howler Head, which has secured ‘official flavoured whiskey’ status with the Ultimate Fighting Championship franchise, comprises Bourbon produced by Green River Distilling Co in Kentucky. After two years of maturation in American white oak barrels, the liquid is then blended with natural banana flavour. Since its US launch last year, followed shortly afterwards by a Canadian debut, the brand has sold around 50,000 nine-litre cases, according to Campari. At the start of this year, Howler Head was rolled out to the UK.
Owner Catalyst Spirits was founded by Alexander Murray, an independent bottler based in Scotland that “has grown into the largest private label supplier in the US”. The company, which also owns a single malt Scotch whisky and an Irish whiskey/Scotch blend, is headed up by Simon Hunt, the CEO of William Grant & Sons from 2016 to late 2020. Hunt previously worked for Diageo and Pernod Ricard.
In results for the first six months of 2022, Campari noted a healthy showing for Wild Turkey in the US: The company saw total sales in the first half climb by just over 19% on the corresponding period a year earlier.
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