Pernod Ricard forms US whiskey subsidiary

Pernod Ricard has set up a whiskey subsidiary in the US, North American Distillers, to “reinforce its commitment and ambition to its American Whiskey portfolio”, Just Drinks reported.

The “global brand company” will cover marketing and operations and will oversee the construction of a Jefferson’s Bourbon distillery in Kentucky.

The division will be led by CEO Richard Black, a Pernod Ricard veteran who was previously marketing director for Martell Cognac in Paris. Black will oversee the company’s full American Whiskey portfolio and North American operations sites.

It follows “substantial investments in the thriving category”, Pernod said in a release on 11 July.

In 2022, Pernod set out plans to spend €238m (then $251.2m) on a distillery and warehouses for Jefferson’s Bourbon in Marion County, Kentucky.

The move was part of a wider strategy to expand capex, particularly within aged spirits. Other investments have included increasing capacity at the Jameson distillery in Ireland and launching a Chinese whisky.

In 2022, Pernod also introduced a dedicated business unit to manage the marketing and production of its American whiskey brands. The American Whiskey Collective houses its Jefferson’s, Rabbit Hole, Smooth Ambler and TX Whiskey brands, and sits in the group’s North American division. The group said the new units would mirror its The Gin Hub and House of Tequila entities, created to drive greater success in their respective spirits categories.