US start-up Avalon Spirits has made its first move in the spirits category, acquiring the owner of the Whiskey Row Bourbon brand.
The Miami-based company was founded by seasoned beverage alcohol executive John Glover, who was COO at Castle Brands for almost 12 years. Glover, who previously worked for Remy Cointreau and Lucas Bols predecessor Bols Royal Distilleries, left Castle in late 2019, two months after Pernod Ricard’s acquisition of the Jefferson’s Bourbon brand owner.
Earlier this week, his new venture, positioned as a “distilled spirits marketing and sales company”, purchased TSS Brands for an undisclosed sum and with it the ownership of Whiskey Row. The brand is produced under contract by Kentucky Artisan Distillery, which also handles Jefferson’s.
“The acquisition of Whiskey Row will allow Avalon to start operations with a super-premium brand … ,” said Glover. “The brand pays tribute to the iconic district in Louisville Kentucky, where the modern bourbon business began. “Our vision is to offer … expressions of bourbon and other whiskey by bringing together the best of craft distillation, careful maturation and selective blending of complementary distillates.”
Late last year, Pernod Ricard confirmed its intention to spend in the region of US$250m on a distillery for Jefferson’s, also in Kentucky.
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