Pernod Ricard launching The American Whiskey Collective

Pernod Ricard has announced the launching of The American Whiskey Collective, a new dedicated business unit which will manage the company’s marketing and production of its American whiskey brands.

Craig Johnson, Pernod Ricard’s marketing leader, will lead the collective, having been appointed to the USA’s executive team, while Jessica Chen will take up the role of Operations, American whiskies. Johnson will report to Chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard North America, Ann Mukherjee.

Pernod Ricard USA expects American whiskey sales to account for a substantial amount of their total volumes within the next five to 10 years, with the volume in the USA accelerating at a fast pace. According to reports from the Distilled Spirits Council, 2021 volumes are up to 29.7 million nine-litre cases, compared with 16 million in 2011. 

The new unit has been developed to help achieve these performance goals by creating more uniform ways of working on the best practice sharing among its brands.

American whiskey brands within the Pernod Ricard portfolio include Jefferson's, TX, Rabbit Hole and Smooth Ambler.

On the launch of this new unit, Mukherjee commented: "American whiskey is an extremely vibrant spirits category, and our investments over the last few years in Jefferson's, Rabbit Hole, Smooth Ambler and TX have proven very successful. Now it's time to drive even more outsized growth for these brands by managing and building a world class marketing and operations approach."

1 July 2022 - Bradley Weir