A new distribution agreement between The Lakes Distillery and Monarq Group will see the brand’s range of English whiskies, gins and vodka introduced to the Caribbean, Latin America and US duty free.
Regional import, distribution and marketing company Monarq operates in Latin America and Caribbean domestic and duty free markets, as well as in US duty free, including the cruise channel.
Monarq Managing Director Robert de Monchy commented: “We have seen the interest in our markets from consumers exploring beyond traditional single malts. This became evident with the successful introduction of a number of single malts and blended whiskies in our portfolio from Ireland, Japan and India. ‘Whiskies of the World’ has become a category of itself, and we have been monitoring the initial developments of English single malt in recent years.
“The Lakes Distillery showed impressive performance for a relatively new single malt producer. As a clear testament of their commitment to quality, The Whiskymaker’s Reserve No.4 was awarded World’s Best Single Malt in 2022 by the World Whiskies Awards. So for us The Lakes Distillery was a perfect match for our expanding international single malt portfolio.”
Talking about the partnership, The Lakes Distillery Director of International Sales Andy Boughey said, “I’m delighted to have been able to formalise a partnership with Robert and the team at Monarq for The Lakes’ award-winning portfolio of spirits. Our international growth to date has come through aligning with strategic partners across the globe who share our ambition and are excited about the opportunity to introduce consumers to our range.
“Having a serious presence in the Caribbean, Latin America and US duty free fits very nicely with our recent launch in the US domestic market, and the obvious experience and capability within the Monarq business gives me confidence that The Lakes has an ambitious partner with the reach and resources equipped to support our growth ambitions in this exciting region.” ✈
