The Jack Daniel’s owner will take on its own distribution from 1 May, expressing excitement about the subsequent prospects for the recently-acquired Gin Mare and Diplomático Rum brands. The switch will add Italy to an in-house distribution footprint that covers a raft of European markets, including France, Germany, Spain and the UK.
Slovakia was added to the list, which also includes Belgium, Cech, Poland and Turkey, last year.
When contacted by Global Drinks Intel today, a spokesperson said that Brown-Forman’s portfolio in Italy is currently handled by Montenegro, Compagnia dei Caraibi and Velier.
“Italy is an important market for driving the growth of our Jack Daniel’s family of brands globally and, in particular, for our latest portfolio additions, Gin Mare and Diplomático,” said Europe president Yiannis Pafilis. “We believe that the creation of our own distribution business in this market will offer increased consumer focus and prioritisation of our brands.”
Pafilis started in his current position today after Marshall Farrer pared back his responsibilities to focus solely on the chief strategic growth officer role.
