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The French drinks giant Pernod Ricard has established a subsidiary, North American Distillers, to manage its American whiskey portfolio. The division's CEO will be Richard Black, a Pernod Ricard veteran who previously served as the marketing director for Martell Cognac in Paris. Black will oversee the company’s American whiskey portfolio and North American operations sites.
In addition to marketing and operations, the company will oversee the construction of Jefferson's whiskey distillery and warehouses. Jefferson's Bourbon is currently made at the Kentucky Artisan distillery in Crestwood. The new US$260 million (£200m) distillery, due to open in 2025, will be located in Lebanon, KY.
In 2022, Pernod Ricard formed a business unit, American Whiskey Collective, which already looked after the marketing and production side of the American aged spirits division. The launch of North American Distillers in July 2024 further cement the company's presence in the US.
The company's American whiskey portfolio includes Bourbon, rye and whiskey brands Jefferson’s, Rabbit Hole, Smooth Ambler, Skrewball Peanut Butter and TX Texas Whiskey.
Images by Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard has recently invested heavily in aged spirits. Not only has the company expanded its Jameson distillery in Ireland, but in December 2023, Ricard launched its first Chinese whisky, The Chuan.
Furthermore, in July 2024, the company announced it had sold its international wine portfolio to Australian Wine Holdco Limited (AWL), a consortium of international institutional investors and owner of Accolade Wines, to concentrate more on spirits.
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