The owner of Officer's Choice is set to buy a non-operational distillery and bottling facility as part of a deal believed to be worth US$7.7 million.
Indian spirits producer Allied Blenders and Distillers (ABD) has agreed to purchase the site in Mordabad, Uttar Pradesh for up to ₹70 crore. ABD intend to spend a further ₹40 crore (US$4.4m) on upgrading the distillery.
Officer's Choice has consistently been one of the best selling whiskies by volume in the world for a number of years, with 21.3 million nine litre cases sold in 2024.
Like many of the other top selling Indian whiskies, Officer's Choice is referred to as an Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL). These are drinks made from neutral spirit blended with a grain or malt based spirit like whisky, with this final element often being imported spirit such as Scotch or Irish whiskey. They are generally favoured in India for their lower price compared to other premium spirits.
ABD have said that the deal is part of their overall growth strategy. The company believe that the new site will be ideally suited for their plans to expand production capabilities, specifically highlighting their desire to produce and bottle more IMFL products.
Currently the land, building, plant, machinery and licences are owned by National Industrial Corporation Private Limited (NICOL), another Indian spirits producer who make whisky, brandy, gin and vodka.
ABD hope that the transaction will be completed by 31st July 2026.
While Officer's Choice is one of the best selling whiskies in the world, recent years have seen its sales fall slightly behind other Indian brands McDowell's (32.2 million cases in 2024), Royal Choice (31 million cases) and Imperial Blue (22.9 million cases).
Perhaps this increased production capacity could see Officer's Choice close the gap on their competitors.
