Constellation Brands

Constellation Brands, the leading wine and spirits ompan company, has announced an agreement to sell its Black Velvet Canadian whisky brand to the distiller Heaven Hill for approximately $266 million. The firm said the sale formed part ot its “wine and spirits business transformation strategy”, including a focus on premium brands. The deal, which also includes a facility in Lethbridge, Canada and other brands associated with Black Velvet, is expected to be closed in the …

US-based alcoholic drinks firm Constellation Brands has announced it has acquired a minority stake in Montanya Distillers, a US rum firm, for an undisclosed sum. Montanya Distillers was originally founded in Silverton, CO in 2008 by Karen and Brice Hoskin and markets the Montanya Platino, Montanya Oro, Montanya Exclusiva, and Montanya Aniversaria range of rum. Montanya Distillers sells its rums in over 40 states and 7 countries around the world, …

Constellation Brands, the wine and spirits firm, has announced it has acquired a majority stake in Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery, a craft whiskey firm. Co-founded by brothers Andy and Charlie Nelson, Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery produces a variety of whiskeys under the Belle Meade Bourbon brand and is set to release a Tennessee whiskey later this year. Constellation Brands said it had initially acquired in minority stake in the whiskey …

Constellation Brands, the US wine and spirits firm, has announced it has taken a minority stake in Los Angeles-based mezcal firm El Silencio via its venture capital arm for an undisclosed sum. Available in the varieties Ensamble and Espadin, El Silencio is described as being made using “meticulously picked agaves” which are “roasted, crushed, and double distilled resulting in a full-bodied flavour”. The product is manufactured in Oaxaca, Mexico and …

US-based alcoholic drinks firm Constellation Brands has announced the acquisition of Four Corners Brewing, a Texan craft brewery founded in 2012, for an undisclosed sum. The craft beer brand will join California’s Ballast Point Brewing and Florida’s Funky Buddha Brewery within Constellation’s Craft and Speciality beer group. Four Corners flagship brands are Local Buzz Honey-Rye Golden Ale and El Chingon IPA. The firm is described as brewing “an entire portfolio …

Constellation Brands, the leading wine, beer and spirits firm, has announced that it is taking a majority stake in US-based craft distiller Copper & Kings. Based in Louisville, KY, Copper & Kings produces a  range of “untraditional, non-derivative” spirits including apple and grape brandies, absinthe, gin and liqueurs that are said to be non-chill filtered with no added colours, flavours or synthetic chemicals. In a statement, Constellation Brands said: “The collaboration …

Constellation Brands, the leading wine, beer and spirits firm, has announced the acquisition of Florida-based craft brewer Funky Buddha. Funky Buddha is described as the fastest growing craft brewery in Florida, with brands including Floridian Hefeweizen and Hop Gun IPA.  The firm’s 54,000 sq ft brewery has a capacity of 45,000 BBLs, and is said to be South Florida’s largest craft microbrewery by size and volume. Funky Buddha will join Constellation Brands’ Craft & …

The Canadian wine business of US-based international beer, wine and spirits producer and distributor Constellation Brands is to be acquired by institutional investor Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan for approximately C$1.03 billion ($782.5 million). Operating in the US, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and Italy, Constellation Brands is described as the market leader in Canada with almost three times the market share of its second competitor and 7 of the top 20 …

US wine firm Constellation Brands has announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire The Prisoner Wine Company from Huneeus Vintners. Constellation Brands described The Prisoner Wine as a fast-growing, super-luxury portfolio of five highly rated wine brands that had grown volumes at an annual rate of 30% over the last three years to reach 175,000 cases in 2015. The deal is said to be worth C$285 million ($219 …

Leading alcoholic drinks firm Costellation Brands is looking to expand in the fast-growing craft beer market by announcing it will buy Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits for $1 billion. Ballast Point is a San Diego based company with 500 employees producing more than 40 different types of beer, led by its Sculpin IPA and Grapefruit Sculpin IPA brands,  in addition to various labels of spirits. The partnership with Ballast Point …