Moonshine and flavoured whiskey business Ole Smoky Distillery has made a foray into the fast-growing Tequila category with the acquisition of Tanteo Spirits.
The deal, described as a “merger”, includes Tanteo’s eponymous brand of spice-infused Tequilas, with four variants: spicy Jalapeño, extra-spicy Habanero, smoky Chipotle and seasonal Navidad.
The company, founded in 2007, also makes an ultra-premium blanco Tequila and the premium Espero brand, made in partnership with Distilladora Juanacatlan. It sold more than 70,000 cases in 2022.
Tennessee-based Ole Smoky, which claims to be the largest craft distiller in the US, added that Tanteo CEO Neil Grosscup and the current management team would remain with the company.
It said leveraging Ole Smoky’s infrastructure and its sales and distribution network would “significantly accelerate Tanteo’s growth”.
Established in 2010, Ole Smoky operates four distilleries in Tennessee and sells a number of flavoured moonshine and whiskey products across the US and in 20 export markets.
In July, former Brown-Forman CFO Jane Morreau joined Ole Smoky’s board as a company director.
