De Kuyper Royal Distillers has confirmed a change of distribution partner in its “most important market” of the UK.
The unit of Disaronno Group’s Disaronno International division in the country will take the place of William Grant & Sons from 1 February. The Archers schnapps owner said it had held “constructive discussions” with William Grant, with the pair having “mutually agreed to enter a new phase that best supports their respective long-term ambitions”.
Netherlands-headquartered De Kuyper, which bought Archers from Diageo four years ago, said Disaronno International UK will cover both the on- and off-premise channels, with the latter’s “established route to market, customer relationships and cocktail-focused portfolio [providing] a strong platform for the next phase of De Kuyper’s growth in the UK”.
“The UK is a defining market for De Kuyper and for the future of the cocktail category,” said De Kuyper CCO Lucien Heusy. “With Disaronno, we have found a partner that shares our entrepreneurial mindset, our focus on quality and innovation and our ambition to make great cocktail creations accessible for every occasion.
“Together, we look forward to building the next chapter for Archers, De Kuyper Liqueurs and our pre-mixed cocktail portfolio.”
In March, De Kuyper made a portfolio consolidation move of its own, agreeing the sale of liqueur Mandarine Napoléon for an undisclosed sum.
