September 8, 2014 (New York, NY): Premium spirits business and independent Scottish family distillers, William Grant & Sons is pleased to announce that it has acquired the Drambuie Liqueur Company Limited which owns the Drambuie whisky liqueur brand.
Drambuie is a very natural addition to our company’s portfolio of premium consumer led brands which include Glenfiddich and The Balvenie single malt Scotch whiskies, Tullamore D.E.W. Irish whiskey, Grant’s blended Scotch whisky, Hendrick’s gin and Sailor Jerry spiced rum.
Drambuie is a unique blend of aged Scotch whisky, spices and heather honey which boasts a glorious history going back to 1745. An iconic brand and bartender’s favorite, it rose to fame as the key ingredient of the Rusty Nail ®, the classic cocktail favored by the Rat Pack in the 1950s.
William Grant & Sons’ Chief Executive, Stella David commented: “We have a passion and a reputation for nurturing and building brands. Drambuie is a natural fit for our portfolio, it has a very rich history and a great story to tell and we are delighted to be in a position to start to re-engage with existing drinkers and to connect the brand with an entirely new generation of consumers”.
Drambuie’s CEO, Michael Kennedy commented: “We are pleased to complete this process with William Grant & Sons, a company who holds true those family values which will help nurture Drambuie to begin its next chapter of growth. As part of the William Grant & Sons stable of brands, we believe that Drambuie can truly achieve its potential as it will benefit from being part of a larger and more diverse organization. I look forward to working with the William Grant & Son’s team as we smoothly integrate the acquisition and help realize the benefits for both companies.”
A family spokesperson for William Grant & Sons commented: “We have always been secret admirers of Drambuie. We are very grateful to the MacKinnon family for entrusting the future of this iconic brand to our family, and we will do our best to make them proud in the decades ahead.”