Bacardi acquires St-Germain liqueur

Bacardi has acquired St-Germain, the super-premium elderflower liqueur.
 

“St-Germain is one of the most exciting brands in the industry today. Since its launch only six years ago as a modern liqueur with a delicious and distinctive taste, St-Germain has stayed true to its French craftsmanship, engaged the bartending community in a way that few spirits brands have, and won some of the industry’s most prestigious awards,” said Facundo Bacardi, chairman of Bacardi Limited.

Heralded as “one of the most influential cocktail components introduced in the last decade” (New York Times) it hs become an essential ingredient with many top mixologists. St-Germain is currently available in all 50 states in the US and has an ever growing presence in international markets.

Robert Cooper, creator of St-Germain and president of The Cooper Spirits Company said: “I chose to work with Bacardi as we share many of the same cultural tenets. They are truly committed to quality, integrity and maintaining the energy and aura we have worked so hard to create. As a150-year-old private and closely held company that was founded on principles of quality, integrity and innovation, Bacardi is committed to the long-term. This allows Bacardi to have the latitude to maintain our ‘stop at nothing’ approach to our artisanal production process.

“With Bacardi’s help, St-Germain can now become a truly international brand. That’s something that would have been difficult for me to achieve as a small, creative brand-building company.”

Cooper will continue as guardian of the liqueur, working with the Bacardi organization and bartenders around the world.

“The unique taste and balance of St-Germain mixes beautifully with our other brands,” said Ed Shirley, president and CEO of Bacardi. “It is a natural fit for our portfolio, and we look forward to sharing it with consumers globally.”

St-Germain is a hand-crafted artisanal French liqueur made from 100% fresh, hand-selected elderflowers that blossom in Europe once a year, during a four-to-six week period in late spring. When picked, they are swiftly delivered to small collection stations where harvesters are paid by the kilo for their flowers, often using specially rigged bicycles to carry them. This allows each harvester to work independently. The blossoms are quickly macerated to capture freshness and enhance the fruit-driven character of the elderflowers. St. Germain is an all-natural liqueur.

St-Germain packaging reflects the artisanal nature of the liqueur and its proud French roots. The monolithic eight sided bottle was created as homage to the vibrant Art Deco and Belle Époque periods in St. Germain des Prés. Each bottle is finished with a heavy stopper, decorated with a cloisonné enameled “coin” and individually numbered and marked with the vintage year. The vintage year, which is based upon the annual seasonal elderflower harvest, is a unique concept in the liqueur category. St-Germain has received an number of industry awards, including the 2012 International High Quality Trophy by Monde Selection, with six consecutive years of Grand Gold Awards, and a 2012 Finalist/Excellent Highly Recommended at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

As both entities are privately-owned, terms of the transaction are not available.

8 January 2013 - Felicity Murray