Exclusive: Davos Brands Buys Aviation Gin, Eyes Further Acquisitions

New York-based Davos Brands has agreed to acquire the Aviation Gin brand from Oregon craft distiller House Spirits, SND has learned. Davos, created in 2014 by Ty Ku sake founder Andrew Chrisomalis and Svedka vodka founder Guillaume Cuvelier, has handled distribution for Aviation ($30) for two years. Cuvelier, who serves as Davos’s vice chairman, declined to reveal the sale price.

Aviation will continue to be produced by House Spirits, which recently opened a new $6 million distillery and also makes the Westward whiskey, Krogstad Aquavit and Volstead Vodka brands. Aviation’s volume is expected to reach about 20,000 cases this year, with growth targeted at 50,000 cases in the near term. Davos started handling the brand early last year, and it has since expanded from its Pacific Northwest stronghold to develop a national footprint, targeting off-premise opportunities to complement its popularity in the mixology community.

Davos, whose portfolio also includes Ty Ku and Sombra mezcal, is aligned with the Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits network throughout the country. Cuvelier told SND that Davos will remain on the acquisition trail, with buys in vodka and brown spirits a possibility as it looks to continue building “a small portfolio of highly creative, super-premium brands.”

Bacardi’s Angel’s Envy Opens New $27 Million Louisville Distillery

Angel’s Envy whiskey, part of the Bacardi portfolio, is opening its new downtown Louisville distillery and visitor center to the public this weekend following a $27 million investment that began in 2013. Located in the former Vermont American and Baer Fabrics Warehouse, the full-production distillery features a 35-foot column still, pot still and doubler. The Angel’s Envy portfolio includes Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in Port barrels, Cask Strength and Rye. Bacardi acquired the fast-growing whiskey label in March of 2015. Impact Databank projects Angel’s Envy to reach a volume of 100,000 cases this year.

News Briefs:

•Mark Tarlov wants you to know exactly how much it cost to make his new Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and why it’s priced at $27.45 and not north of $60. A founder of Evening Land Vineyards, and now the proprietor of Chapter 24 Wines and Maison l’Envoyé, Tarlov’s newest project is called Alit. The new brand is sold direct-to-consumer and details both production costs and winery profits. Wine Spectator has the full story.

•Patrón Spirits is releasing a 1-liter limited edition Patrón Silver bottle ahead of the holiday season. The 2016 holiday bottle is inspired by Mexican art deco design and features a black and pewter label and cork closure. The One-Liter Limited Edition Patrón Silver bottle is available for about $60 nationwide. According to Impact Databank, Patrón commands a 70% share of the above-$40 Tequila category in the U.S. and last year rose by 4% to 2.1 million cases (excluding the high-end Roca Patrón offshoot).

•MGP Ingredients has named Andy Mansinne to the newly created position of vice president, brands. Mansinne led Aveníu Brands as president from 2010-2014, and prior to that held executive posts with Brown-Forman and Foster's Wine Estates (now Treasury Wine Estates). Gus Griffin, MGP’s president and CEO, said the appointment was in line with the spirits supplier’s efforts to develop its own portfolio of premium brands. Last week, MGP announced the acquisition of the George Remus whiskey label, which joins Till American Wheat vodka in its brand lineup.

Craft Brewing and Distilling News:

•San Francisco’s Anchor Distilling has extended its Old Potrero rye whiskey brand with a new 16-year-old single malt offering. Aged in once-used charred American oak barrels, Old Potrero Hotaling’s 16-Year-Old Single Malt Rye Whiskey is named to commemorate the A.P. Hotaling and Co. whiskey warehouse, which remained intact after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. The 50%-abv entry is limited to less than 200 bottles ($165 each), and joins Old Potrero’s core Single Malt Straight Rye Whiskey ($70) and 18th-Century Style Whiskey ($70) labels.

•California-based Sonoma Cider has forged a new sales and distribution agreement with United States Beverage (USB), effective December 1. Currently distributed across 25 states, Sonoma Cider plans to expand its footprint through the deal. Sonoma Cider, which previously handled sales in-house, offers four year-round labels—including The Hatchet apple cider, The Pitchfork pear cider, a sarsaparilla- and vanilla-infused cider known as The Washboard and a Bourbon-flavored cider called The Anvil—as well as its Limited Run and Cidermaker Reserve series. USB’s portfolio also includes the Murphy’s, Moosehead, Tiger, Estrella Dam and Czechvar brands among others.

•Lansdale, Pennsylvania-based Boardroom Spirits has added two new flavored vodkas to its lineup. Made with real fruit, Boardroom’s Fresh Cranberry and Fresh Citrus vodkas are produced without concentrates or added juices. Both labels will be available at the Boardroom Spirits distillery, as well as across 33 states via retailer Ezra’s. They join existing vodka, gin and beet spirit entries in Boardroom’s craft stable.

Recently in the News:

• Gin Continues Its Revival At The High End, As Key Players Post Healthy Gains
• Interview: Rémy Martin CEO Eric Vallat
• Jameson Leads A U.S. Groundswell For Irish Whiskey