In June this year, Pernod Ricard announced that it had signed an agreement to take the majority stake in Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal, said to be the leading mezcal brand in the US.
Pernod says Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal, founded in 1995 by artist and entrepreneur Ron Cooper, features a range of hand-crafted super-premium mezcals from the Oaxaca region of Mexico.
Cooper said: “We partnered with Pernod Ricard because they understand and appreciate our mission of preserving the culture of the Zapotec people and protecting the traditional process of making mescal.
“Through this partnership, our management team will gain increased opportunities to distribute our products to mezcal lovers around the world while also ensuring that the palenqueros – or families we work with – are able to continue crafting their liquid art for generations to come."
Under the terms of the transaction, the management team of Cooper, Michael Gardner, Steve Olson, and the rest of the Del Maguey team will remain in place. All of Del Maguey’s Mexico operations will remain intact as well.
