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Quintessential Brands Group has acquired Lafragette & Legier SA (L&L) from French American Vintners Inc, part of the Kopf Group based in the US.
The multi-million Euro investment is part of Quintessential Brands’ strategy to acquire drinks companies that complement its existing portfolio of brands, enhance its industry services and provide additional route-to-market capabilities in line with the group’s ambitious growth and investment plans.
Based near Agen in South West France, L&L is one of the country’s leading manufacturers of fine French spirits including fruit liqueurs, Armagnacs and Cognacs, in particular the Alizé range of fruit liqueur spirits. The acquisition increases Quintessential Brands’ global distribution reach in more than 30 new markets.
L&L created and owns the Alizé brand everywhere in the world, except North America, where it is owned by Kobrand, a Kopf Group company. L&L will continue to manufacture the Alizé brand on behalf of the Kobrand Group for the USA and Canada.
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Quintessential Brands Group Chairman and Co-Founder Enzo Visone commented: “We are delighted to be bringing L&L into the Quintessential Brands Group. This acquisition brings new production capabilities for high quality spirits including private label and contract manufacture products. L&L is renowned for its expertise in crafting exquisite fruit liqueur spirits, brandies and Cognacs and we are very excited at the prospect of working in both new categories and in new markets.”
L&L President Georges Chasseuil added: “I am very pleased to be joining L&L as President and leading the business going forwards. Becoming part of the Quintessential Brands Group is the most significant development for the business in the last five years and we very much look forward to building the business as part of a larger spirits group.”
Quintessential Brands was founded by former Gruppo Campari CEO Enzo Visone and former investment banker Warren Scott. The Quintessential Brands Group is made up of the Quintessential Brands Company, G&J Distillers, Essential Drinks, First Ireland Spirits Company and the UK brand agency Marblehead Brand Development.
The Quintessential Brands Company spirits portfolio includes Greenall’s The Original London Dry Gin, BLOOM London Dry Gin, Berkeley Square London Dry Gin, Opihr Oriental Spiced Gin, and Toussaint Coffee Rum Liqueur, which are all produced by G&J Distillers; as well as O’Mara’s Irish Country Cream, Feeney’s Irish Cream Liqueur and The Dubliner Irish Whiskey, produced by First Ireland Spirits Company.
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The multi-million Euro acquisition will expand the Quintessential Brands portfolio to include L&L’s Alizé Passion Liqueurs, Bohême Liqueurs and Baron Clovignac Cognac |
