Sazerac Company, Inc is a privately held American

alcoholic beverage An alcoholic beverage (also called an alcoholic drink, adult beverage, or a drink) is a drink that contains ethanol, a type of alcohol that acts as a drug and is produced by fermentation of grains, fruits, or other sources of sugar. The c ...

company headquartered in Metairie in the metropolitan area of

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana borde ...

. The company is owned by billionaire William Goldring and his family. , it operated nine

distilleries Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heati ...

, had 2,000 employees, and operated in 112 countries. It is one of the two largest spirits companies in the United States, with annual revenue of about $1 billion made from selling about 300 mostly discount brands.

History

The company was founded after the purchase of a bar known as the Sazerac Coffee House in 1869 by Thomas H. Handy. The coffee house itself had been established in 1850. After its purchase, Handy's company began to acquire and market brands of liquor. According to the company, the Sazerac Coffee House had been named after a

cocktail A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink. Most commonly, cocktails are either a combination of spirits, or one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients such as tonic water, fruit juice, flavored syrup, or cream. Cocktails vary widely acr ...

called the Sazerac that was created in the mid-1800s by the immigrant Antoine Amédée Peychaud, who operated a

pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medication, medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it ...

Royal Street Royal Street (french: Rue Royale; es, Calle Real) is a street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. It is one of the original streets of the city, dating from the early 18th century, and is known today for its antique shops, art ga ...

in the

French Quarter The French Quarter, also known as the , is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. After New Orleans (french: La Nouvelle-Orléans) was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city developed around the ("Old S ...

of New Orleans in 1838. The company publishes a Sazerac recipe and produces a Peychaud's Bitters named after Peychaud, which is an ingredient in the traditional Sazerac cocktail.New Orleans Declares Sazerac Its Cocktail of Choice
National Public Radio ''All Things Considered'', June 26, 2008. (Access date December 6, 2010.) William Goldring began buying shares of the company in 1984, and eventually purchased the entire company. In 2009, the company's principal office was moved to Louisville, Kentucky, reflecting an increased company focus on

bourbon whiskey Bourbon () is a type of barrel-aged American whiskey made primarily from corn. The name derives from the French Bourbon dynasty, although the precise source of inspiration is uncertain; contenders include Bourbon County in Kentucky and Bourbon ...

production. However, the Sazerac Company still maintains an active presence in the New Orleans area, and it also has operations in Carson and Loomis,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

;

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

;

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

;

Bardstown Bardstown is a home rule-class city in Nelson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 11,700 in the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Nelson County. Bardstown is named for the pioneering Bard brothers. David Bard obtained a l ...

, Frankfort, and Owensboro,

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virgini ...

;

Fredericksburg, Virginia Fredericksburg is an independent city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,982. The Bureau of Economic Analysis of the United States Department of Commerce combines the city of Fredericksburg wi ...

;

Montreal, Quebec Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-p ...

, Canada;

Lewiston, Maine Lewiston (; ; officially the City of Lewiston, Maine) is the second largest city in Maine and the most central city in Androscoggin County. The city lies halfway between Augusta, the state's capital, and Portland, the state's most populous cit ...

; Londonderry, New Hampshire; Newport, Tennessee; and Segonzac, France. In 2016, the company had an estimated revenue of $1 billion per year and a market valuation estimate of $4.5 billion. The valuation placed Goldring in the

Bloomberg Billionaires Index The ''Bloomberg Billionaires Index'', launched in March 2012, is a daily ranking of the world's 500 richest people based on their net worth. It draws information from "action in the stock market, economic indicators and news reports", features a p ...

with an estimated net worth of $3.9 billion.

Distilleries

A. Smith Bowman Distillery The A. Smith Bowman Distillery is a distillery that was originally based on the Bowman family's 7,200-acre Sunset Hills Farm in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, in what later became the planned community of Reston. The distillery was foun ...

* Barton 1792 Distillery in

Bardstown, Kentucky Bardstown is a home rule-class city in Nelson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 11,700 in the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Nelson County. Bardstown is named for the pioneering Bard brothers. David Bard obtained a l ...

* 1820 Spirits Distillery in

* Buffalo Trace Distillery in

Frankfort, Kentucky Frankfort is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, United States, and the seat of Franklin County. It is a home rule-class city; the population was 28,602 at the 2020 census. Located along the Kentucky River, Frankfort is the pri ...

* Glenmore Distillery in

Owensboro, Kentucky Owensboro is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Daviess County, Kentucky, United States. It is the fourth-largest city in the state by population. Owensboro is located on U.S. Route 60 and Interstate 165 about southwest of Lo ...

* Les Distilleries Sazerac du Canada in

* Popcorn Sutton Distillery in Newport, Tennessee * Northwest Ordinance Distilling in

New Albany, Indiana New Albany is a city in Floyd County, Indiana, United States, situated along the Ohio River, opposite Louisville, Kentucky. The population was 37,841 as of the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Floyd County. It is bounded by I-265 ...

Acquisitions

In 1989, Sazerac acquired several brands from

Seagram The Seagram Company Ltd. (which traded as Seagram's) was a Canadian multinational conglomerate formerly headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. Originally a distiller of Canadian whisky based in Waterloo, Ontario, it was once (in the 1990s) the l ...

: Benchmark, a bourbon, eventually changing its name from "Benchmark" to McAfee's Benchmark; James Foxe Canadian Whisky;

Nikolai (vodka) Nikolai is a brand of vodka on the market in the United States. The brand was originally launched and developed by Seagram, and has existed since at least 1963. The Nikolai brand is currently owned and produced by the Sazerac Company Sazerac Com ...

; Carstairs Blended Whiskey;

Crown Russe Sazerac Company, Inc is a privately held American alcoholic beverage company headquartered in Metairie in the metropolitan area of New Orleans, Louisiana, but with its principal office in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is owned by billionair ...

, a vodka and gin brand; Dr. McGillicuddy's, a liqueur brand, that included its Fireball Whisky, which was rebranded as

Fireball Cinnamon Whisky Fireball Cinnamon Whisky is a mixture of Canadian whisky, cinnamon flavoring and sweeteners that is produced by the Sazerac Company. Its foundation is Canadian whisky, and the taste otherwise resembles the candy with a similar name, Ferrara C ...

in 2007; Eagle Rare, a Kentucky straight bourbon whisky. In 1992, Sazerac acquired the

George T. Stagg George T. Stagg is a limited-production bourbon whiskey distributed by Buffalo Trace Distillery, as part of the distillery's " Antique Collection" series. It is a high proof Proof most often refers to: * Proof (truth), argument or sufficient ev ...

Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, at which time the company's primary focus became the production of bourbon whiskey, a product that is primarily distilled, aged, and bottled in Kentucky, later changing its name to the Buffalo Trace Distillery in 1999. In 1994, Sazerac acquired Monsieur Henri, a wine and specialty spirits company. In 2007, it was announced that they were changing the name Monsieur Henri to Gemini Spirits and Wine; it is headquartered in Loomis, California. In 2014, Sazerac announced the creation the Bond & Royal Company, located in Chicago, Illinois, to take over the specialty and craft segment of its brands from the Gemini Spirits and Wine portfolio including: Del Maguey Single Village

Mezcal Mezcal (, ), sometimes spelled mescal, is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from any type of agave. The word ''mezcal'' comes from Nahuatl , which means "oven-cooked agave", from and .What is MezcalElmezcal.org Traditionally the word ...

, a "cousin" to the tequila family of spirits, Campo de Encanto Pisco, a

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

vian brandy, Banks Rum, Siete Leguas Tequila, Glenfarclas Single Malt Scotch, Dimmi Liquore di Milano, an Italian liqueur, and the Casa San Matias Tequilas. In 1999, Sazerac acquired the W.L. Weller bourbon brands. In 2003, Sazerac acquired the

, located in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Virginia Gentleman Virginia Gentleman is a brand of bourbon whiskey distilled in Kentucky and re-distilled in Virginia. The brand's motto was "The Aristocrat of Them All" (sometimes rendered as "The Aristocrats of Them All" when advertised with Smith Bowman Disti ...

, a bourbon whiskey, is distilled there. In March 2009, Sazerac completed its acquisition of Constellation Brands value-priced spirit assets. The purchase included

Barton Brands Barton Brands, Ltd. was a company that produced a variety of distilled beverages and liqueurs and is now part of the Sazerac Company, which is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has its principal offices in Louisville, Kentucky. The Bar ...

and several other bourbon brands, a distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky, and a bottling and warehousing facility in Owensboro, Kentucky. In June, Sazerac acquired The Old Taylor Bourbon label and barrel inventory from Beam Global Spirits & Wine, now known as Beam Suntory. In September 2011, Sazerac entered into an agreement with

Corby Distilleries Limited Corby Spirit and Wine Limited is a Canadian alcohol manufacturing and distribution company. It was founded in 1859 in Corbyville, Ontario. As of 2008, the company is 46% owned by Pernod Ricard. The company distills several Canadian specialities, a ...

, to purchase 17 Corby owned brands including: McGuinness Silk Tassel Canadian Whisky, Red Tassel Vodka, and DeKuyper Geneva Gin and Peachtree Schnapps as part of the agreement made with the other brands acquired from Corby Distilleries Limited. The deal also included shares of Corby's manufacturing and bottling facilities in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...

, Canada. The distillery was eventually renamed as the Old Montreal Distillery. In October, Sazerac Acquired 32 brands from White Rock Distillery, most notably: Tortilla triple sec, Desert Island cocktails, Kapali liqueurs, Ryans Irish cream liqueur, Fire Water schnapps liqueur, Ice 101 liqueurs, Barbarossa rum, Ice Box blenders and cocktails, Mount Royal Canadian whisky, and others. In May 2012, Sazerac Acquired several more brands from White Rock Distillery including: Baja Tequila, Tenure Vodka, Epic Vodka, Superia Vodka, Stroyski Vodka, El Charro Tequila, Blackmaker Root beer liqueur, and Chocolate Valley Vines wine. In October 2012, Sazerac acquired Gran Gala, a liqueur brand, from Stock Spirits. In October 2013, Sazerac bought a distillery, including land and equipment in Lewiston, Maine, from Beam Inc. (now known as Beam Suntory). By 2017, the name of the distillery was changed to Boston Brands of Maine. The Mr. Boston line of Brandies is distilled there. In October 2015, Sazerac acquired Michael Collins, an Irish whiskey from the Sidney Frank Importing Company. Also in 2015, Sazerac added Van Gogh Imports, changing its name to 375 Park Avenue Spirits, as an independent, but fully integrated, division in its portfolio. In March 2016, Sazerac completed the purchase of the Southern Comfort brand of whiskey-based

liqueur A liqueur (; ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-aged bey ...

, and Tuaca, a brandy liqueur, from Brown-Forman, Inc. That same month, Sazerac acquired Hi-Spirits to take over the distribution of its products in the UK. In May, it was announced that Sazerac had finalized a deal with

Pernod Ricard Pernod Ricard () is a French company best known for its anise-flavoured pastis apéritifs Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis (often referred to simply as ''Pernod'' or '' Ricard''). The world’s second-largest wine and spirits seller, it also pr ...

's Irish Distillers to acquire its

Paddy Whiskey Paddy is a brand of blended Irish whiskey produced by Irish Distillers, at the Midleton distillery in County Cork, on behalf of Sazerac, a privately held American company. Irish Distillers owned the brand until its sale to Sazerac in 2016. As o ...

brand. In September, Sazerac acquired The Last Drop Distillers, an

independent bottler It has been common practice in the whisky industry for more than a century for distilleries to sell barrels of whisky to blenders and independent bottlers as a means of making additional income.Frïs Vodka from Pernod Ricard. In December, Sazerac announced its acquisition of The Popcorn Sutton Distillery in Newport, Tennessee. Also in December, it was announced that Sazerac had acquired Domaine Breuil de Segonzac Cognac, including property located near the town of Segonzac, France, near

Cognac Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Cognac production falls under French appellat ...

. In November 2018, Sazerac announced it would acquire 19 spirits brands from Diageo Plc, including Seagram VO Canadian whisky and Goldschläger cinnamon schnapps. In June 2020, the company announced it would acquire the brands Early Times, Collingwood, and Canadian Mist, including the latter's distillery in Ontario, from Brown-Forman. The acquisition included the barrel aging stocks related to the different brands as well.

Joint ventures

*In 2002, Sazerac entered an agreement with the Van Winkle family to produce its Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve and Old Rip Van Winkle bourbon and rye whisky brands at its Buffalo Trace Distillery. *In 2014, Sazerac entered into a licensing and distribution agreement with The Wine Group, to market its Big House Bourbon, Concannon Irish Whiskey, and Piedra Azul Tequila. *In 2015, Sazerac entered an agreement with La Martiniquaise to be a US distributor of its Saint-Vivant Armagnac brand, produced in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

. *In 2016, Sazerac entered into an agreement with ArcusGruppen to be their US importer of its Lysholm Linie, Aalborg Taffel, and Aalborg Jubilaeums Aquavit brands produced in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. *On May 31, 2016, Sazerac entered a long-term Canadian national distribution agreement with Charton Hobbs, Inc. a wine and spirits company. *On March 3, 2017, it was announced that Sazerac entered a joint venture with

Bittermens Bittermens is an American producer of cocktail bitters and flavoring extracts. The history of Bittermens dates back to 2007 when Avery and Janet Glasser, while living in San Francisco, were invited to a bitters-making event at the 209 Distillery. ...

. *In June 2017, it was announced that Sazerac had entered agreement with Dictador, to have its Rum products be imported into the US through its 375 Spirits division. *In October 2017, it was announced that Sazerac entered an agreement with

John Distilleries John Distilleries Pvt Ltd is an Indian company that produces distilled beverages, and the company's flagship brand is Original Choice whisky. It also manufactures brandy, whisky, wines, and the award winning single malt whisky called Paul John ...

Private Limited (JDPL) to expand into India.

Divestitures

In June 2009, Sazerac sold Effen Vodka to Fortune Brands. After a restructuring of Fortune Brands and an acquisition by

Suntory (commonly referred to as simply Suntory) is a Japanese multinational brewing and distilling company group. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest companies in the distribution of alcoholic beverages in Japan, and makes Japanese whisky. Its ...

, Effen has since become a Beam Suntory brand.

References

External links

* {{Sazerac Company Companies based in New Orleans Bourbon whiskey 1850 establishments in Louisiana Alcoholic drink companies Distilleries