Drinks giant Pernod Ricard has recently announced that they are offloading a number of whisky brands from their extensive portfolio. One of these concerns the sale of one of the biggest selling Indian whiskies, while another brand being sold is a lesser-known Irish gem.
Firstly, Pernod’s Indian arm are selling Imperial Blue for a reported €412.6 million to Indian firm Tilaknagar Industries. The deal includes the Imperial Blue brand, existing stock, and the services of co-manufacturers across India.
Imperial Blue is the third best selling whisky in India, with 22.9 million cases sold in 2024. As such, this makes it one of the biggest selling whiskies in the world, despite being relatively unknown outside its home country.
Last month it was reported that Japanese drinks company Suntory Global Spirits were interested in acquiring Imperial Blue as means of increasing their presence in the Indian market. (For more information on this, check out our recent article “Suntory Linked to Top Indian Brand”.)
However, Tilaknagar Industries have won the race to buy the brand. The Maharashtra-based group are best known for their Mansion House brandy - the world’s best-selling brandy, with 7.8 million cases sold in 2024. They also produce a whisky under the Mansion House name, which is a blend of Indian spirits and Scotch malts.
A statement from Tilaknagar said that they hope acquiring Imperial Blue will be a ‘launchpad for a significant whisky premiumisation journey’ and the group seeks to expand its portfolio of brands.
Amit Dahanukar, chairman and managing director, Tilaknagar Industries, added: “Having achieved leadership in the brandy segment, it is now time for us to broaden our portfolio and cater to India’s diverse and evolving consumer base.
“While we continue to grow our business organically, this strategic acquisition allows us to enter the whisky category with one of the country’s most trusted and admired brands.”
Pernod offloading Imperial Blue is seen to be part of a wider move to streamline their operations and assess strategic opportunities going forward.
Alexandre Ricard, chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard, described the deal as a “strategic move to sharpen our focus on more profitable and faster-growing brands in India, like in the rest of the world… This transaction represents a win-win for all stakeholders involved, both at the global and local level. It fuels our ambition to succeed even further in one of our top markets.”
Removing Imperial Blue from their portfolio does not mean Pernod have abandoned the Indian market. The group also own the Royal Stag and Blenders Pride brands, which sold 31 million and 10.1 million cases in 2024 respectively. Both of these figures were increases on the previous year’s sales.
The second sale relates to Cobblestone Brands purchasing Knappogue Castle and Clontarf Irish whiskies from Irish Distillers - the Irish whiskey arm of Pernod Ricard - for an undisclosed sum.
Irish Distillers are one of the key figures in the Irish whisky scene. They are currently home to some of the biggest names in Irish whiskey, such as Jameson, Redbreast, Green Spot and Powers.
Pernod Ricard acquired Knappogue Castle and Clontarf when they bought Castle Brands in 2019. Now they are looking to offload the two brands.
Nodjame Fouad, CEO of Irish Distillers, explains that “This divestment aligns with our business strategy to focus on our core Irish Whiskey portfolio and accelerate growth in key areas.” She adds that Pernod “are confident that Cobblestone Brands will further develop and expand their market presence, and we extend our best wishes for their future success.”
Dublin-based Cobblestone Brands were founded in 2021 and are best known for having Four Corners American Gin and Star & Key Rum among their portfolio of brands.
CEO Brian Fagan said: “Knappogue Castle and Clontarf have a strong foundation, and we see enormous opportunity to re-energise and grow them in both established and emerging markets. We’re proud to be the new custodians of these brands and are grateful for Irish Distillers’ confidence in our ability to carry these brands forward.”
Cobblestone Brands COO Barry Gallagher added: “We plan to invest significantly in marketing, innovation, and route-to-market expansion for both brands, with further announcements to follow in the coming months.
“This acquisition represents the next step in our broader growth strategy across our spirits brands. Over the next 12 months, we plan to introduce another three new-to-world brands as we continue to build a diverse and globally relevant premium spirits portfolio.”
A large company such as Pernod looking to offload a number of brands like this might, on the surface at least, be a worrying sign. That said, it’s clear that both sales are part of a long-term strategy for the group as they focus on their strongest performers in different markets.
As for the brands themselves, while they might no longer have the backing of a multi-national drinks business, they are in the hands of companies committed to their continued success. Arguably, Knappogue Castle, Clontarf and Imperial Blue are now better placed to thrive in what is currently a difficult market.
