In case you haven’t heard yet, Louisville-based Angel’s Envy Bourbon has been acquired by Bacardi. This marks Bacardi's entrance into the bourbon world, though they have plenty of experience with spirits other than their namesake rum.
There has been a lot of concern lately about international ownership of our Kentucky bourbon brands. Whether this turns out to be a problem in the future is yet to be seen. But there are a lot of positive changes that have taken place with other bourbon brands that have been acquired by companies based in other countries. Perhaps the biggest advantage to partnering with other companies is access to capital. Every distillery I’ve visited in the last year is undergoing major construction, adding both bourbon-making capacity and visitor’s facilities to accommodate the boom.
Another possible advantage to such a partnership would be the ability to take advantage of already-established distribution networks. Building a bourbon brand from the ground up is difficult business, and distribution is almost as much work as production. Partnering with a company that not only has distribution in all 50 states but also worldwide is going to get more Kentucky bourbon into more hands around the world.
It also makes perfect sense for Angel’s Envy, whose Rye is finished in rum casks, to partner with the largest producer of rum in the world. According to Bacardi, Angel’s Envy will continue to operate independently, so this looks like a completely symbiotic relationship at first blush. Time will tell, but for now it looks like this is going to be a good thing for Kentucky bourbon overall.
Photos Courtesy of Angel's Envy and Bacardi
