William Grant & Sons (WG&S) has announced the acquisition of a distillery in Mexico for the company’s Milagro Tequila brand.
Since 2015, Milagro has averaged double-digit annual growth in the U.S. market, the company reports, reaching over 300,000 9-L cases in annual sales. The distillery acquisition is meant to support the brand’s continued expansion, while opening up the opportunity for future innovations.
This comes at a time when the tequila category is booming in America.
“2020 has seen accelerated consumer interest in the premium tequila category, with Nielsen markets showing retail growth of over 30% over the last quarter alone, and with Milagro outpacing the category with almost 50% retail growth,” says Jonathan Yusen, WG&S president and managing director, Americas.
WG&S has also reintroduced the “Milagro Select” range with a new look. Each bottle, engraved with a blue agave plant design, provides a “modern sophistication” to the traditional tequila cues, the company says, and features a pop of color to stands out on the shelf.
Milagro Tequila is made from 100% blue agave from the Jalisco highlands and distilled using both pot and column stills.
“Milagro has always been an exciting brand within our award-winning portfolio, and with this distillery it is now a clear long-term priority for our global business, alongside such iconic premium brands as Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch, Hendrick’s Gin and Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey,” Yusen says. “This acquisition allows us to manage our production more closely, ensuring the long-term quality and consistency of our Silver, Reposado and Añejo offerings, while bringing our innovation expertise to agave-based spirits.”
The Mexican distillery acquisition forms part of WG&S’s multi-million investment plan to build its brands globally while upgrading infrastructure to support its growth ambitions.
