As part of the agreement, Bacardi has taken a minority stake in the Teeling Whiskey Company. Teeling Whiskey Company will continue to lead and run the business and will continue to operate independently and autonomously.
The US is the largest market for Irish whiskey in the world with sales of more than 3.5 million 9-litre cases in 2016. Teeling Whiskey has been imported and distributed into the U.S since 2014.
Teeling says it will now be distributed in select states throughout the nation by Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits and will sit under the firm’s Transatlantic Spirits division.
Southern Glazer’s, which was formed following the merger of Southern Wine and Spirits of America and Glazer’s Inc. in 2016, created the Transatlantic Wine & Spirits Division to handle the Bacardi portfolio of brands in the US.
Jack Teeling, founder and managing director of the Teeling Whiskey Company, said: “The US market is by far the most important market for Irish whiskey and it is beginning to go through significant premiumisation, with the super premium segment growing 3,456% since 2002. Given the size of the opportunity, when a chance came up to partner with Bacardi through their new national distribution partnership and unique route-to-market model with Southern Glazer’s, it was too good not to take.”
“Joining forces with a partner of this calibre in the largest market for Irish whiskey is an important strategic development for us and is testament to what Teeling Whiskey has achieved over the past five years.”
Teeling, describing itself as Ireland’s leading independent Irish whiskey company, was founded in 2012 by Jack Teeling and later joined by his brother Stephen in 2013.
