Campari Group has announced the acquisition of a minority equity stake in London-based brand incubator Catalyst Spirits. This follows Campari Group’s recent announcement that it had acquired an initial 15% interest in Howler Head Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey with a medium-term route to total ownership, and concomitantly to obtain exclusive global distribution rights.
Catalyst Spirits is a new global spirits incubator company helmed by industry veteran Simon Hunt focused on leveraging the new economy and the company’s extensive experience to build and rapidly grow premium brands. Beyond Howler Head the company’s spirits portfolio includes The Oceanus Hibernicus, a unique blend of Irish and Scotch malt whiskey, as well as a number of other brands in development.
The Catalyst Spirits team seeks scalable opportunities and leverages unique brand partners to create and develop impactful brands and bring them to market with pace, building them with exceptional marketing, retail, ecommerce, and distributor support. Howler Head is currently available in the U.S., U.K. and Canada, with further global expansion planned for 2023. In its first full year of operations, Howler Head has sold over 50,000 9L cases, and generated overall net sales of $6.7 million in accordance with local GAAP.
How Much Did Campari Invest in Catalyst Spirits?
As is often standard for these type of deals the amount of the investment was undisclosed.
Campari Group a global industry spirits provider with a portfolio of over 50 premium and super premium brands. Global Priorities, the Group’s key focus, include Aperol, Campari, SKYY, Grand Marnier, Wild Turkey and Appleton Estate. The Group was founded in 1860 and today is the sixth-largest player worldwide in the premium spirits industry. It has a global distribution reach, trading in over 190 nations around the world with leading positions in Europe and the Americas. Campari Group’s growth strategy aims to combine organic growth through strong brand building and external growth via selective acquisitions of brands and businesses.
Headquartered in Milan, Italy, Campari Group operates in 22 production sites worldwide and has its own distribution network in 23 countries. Campari Group employs approximately 4,000 people. The shares of the parent company Davide Campari-Milano N.V. have been listed on the Italian Stock Exchange since 2001.
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