Next Century Spirits, the spirits supplier behind American single malt whiskey Bear Fight, has acquired a majority of Southwest Spirits & Wine brand assets, the company announced today.

Founded in 2018, North Carolina-based Next Century Spirits (NCS) is a spirits and marketing company producing for private label and for its own family of brands. The latter includes fast-growing Seth MacFarlane-backed Bear Fight and Caddy Clubhouse Cocktails.

In 2022 NCS acquired XED Beverages, the maker of cocktail-inspired hard seltzer brand Sesh and last year purchased a minority stake in ready-to-drink (RTD) brand Vide, which is backed by model and actor Olivia Culpo.

The current acquisition represents a step in NCS’s vision to become “one of industry’s top spirits suppliers,” according to a press release. Anthony Moniello, co-CEO of NCS, said in an interview with BevNET last year that the company would continue to expand its portfolio and was in “total growth mode.”

NCS will now acquire Nue Vodka, which sells an annual volume of 220,000 nine-liter cases across 29 states, along with The Other 49 Bourbon, Sixty Men Bourbon, Calamity Gin, Henderson Whiskey and George Ocean Rum. Those brands get NCS into new categories vodka, gin and bourbon.

“We are thrilled to expand our portfolio with this collection of brands, including Nue Vodka,” said Moniello. “Our ambition is to become a trusted, long-term spirits partner with a diverse portfolio and the recent acquisition of SSW brand assets allows us to diversify our business and accelerate our timeline.”

The largest brand in the transaction, Nue Vodka is one of several vodka brands positioning themselves as a quality Texas-based alternative to Tito’s— and Nue comes in a few dollars under America’s top-selling spirit brand. NCS has addressed finding a niche in other categories, like American single malt, by using processing and finishing technology to offer a spirit priced $20 below most of its competitors.

The brands join a portfolio that includes other products with celebrity ties such as Creek Water Whiskey, a 100-proof whiskey co-founded by rapper/musician Yelawolf; Caddy Cocktails, “a golf occasion-based RTD” with golfer Greg Norman; and Truthteller 1839 Whiskey, in partnership with Fox Entertainment. The portfolio also boasts a mint and chocolate flavored whiskey, Numbskull.

Next Century Spirits closed a $6 million Series C fundraising round in 2020, led by the heir of the founders of Seagram’s liquor company, Matthew Bronfman and his investment firm Blue Hill Group. Bear Fight later closed a $1.9 million investment deal in 2023 between Valedor Partners and Bronfman, who is NCS’s executive chairman of the board.

The transaction involves the acquisition of SWW’s brand assets only and not the purchase of Southwest Spirits & Wine, which will continue as a separate entity from NCS. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.