Milestone Brands has lined up the addition of another iteration to its Empress 1908 gin brand’s presence in the US.
Empress 1908 Original, the Canadian gin brand’s “foundational expression”, will be released nationwide in the country this week. Sitting alongside the mark’s Indigo and Cucumber Lemon expressions, the 42.5%-ABV gin carries an SRP in the US of US$39.99 per 75cl bottle.
“Bringing Empress 1908 Original Gin to the US reflects the brand’s foundational role in the gin category and how we have evolved over the years,” said Milestone Brands’ CEO, Eric Dopkins. “It’s the original gin that started the Empress 1908 journey, and we’re proud to introduce American consumers to one of our portfolio’s most versatile expressions for effortless cocktail creations.”
Empress 1908 is named after the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia, which opened its doors in 1908. The brand was founded in 2017 by Victoria Distillers, which was acquired by Milestone Brands for an undisclosed fee in mid-2022.
Funding for the transaction came from private-equity investor BDT Capital Partners, which bought a “significant minority stake” in Milestone at the same time.
