Iconic Nectars subsidiary Pagès-Vedrenne has bought the Mandarine Napoléon liqueur brand from De Kuyper Royal Distillers for an undisclosed sum.
The deal, which remains subject to “final closing conditions”, will see Pagès-Vedrenne take on the brand from the start of April. The Jura-headquartered company – formerly the Renaud Cointreau Group (which is not connected to Rémy Cointreau) – also owns wine and spirit brands including Vedrenne Liqueurs & Syrups, Pagès Liqueurs, Salers gentiane liqueur, Izarra, Cognac Paulet and Champagne Ivernel.
Netherlands-based De Kuyper said the disposal would allow it to continue to “sharpen our focus” on cocktail liqueurs and premixes.
“For us at De Kuyper Royal Distillers, this transaction is a natural next step in our long-term strategy,” said CEO Leo Evers. “While we are incredibly proud of Mandarine Napoléon’s journey under our stewardship, this decision aligns with our ongoing strategy to sharpen our focus on our core business: growing the global cocktail category through our De Kuyper and Peach liqueurs and innovative premixed cocktail solutions.
“When deciding on the future of this iconic brand, it was essential for us to find exactly the right partner. With Pagès-Vedrenne, a fellow family-owned business that shares our values, we are highly confident we have found the perfect new home to carry Mandarine Napoléon’s legacy forward.”
Iconic Nectars’ owning family members, Amaury and Julien Cointreau, added: “Our commitment is to honour Mandarine Napoléon’s remarkable heritage while opening new opportunities for growth within our ecosystem of craft distilleries and liqueur producers. Naturally, this will open the way for meaningful synergies across our distribution networks.”
In January, De Kuyper expanded its range with 20-litre KeyKegs for draught cocktail serves in the on-premise channel.
