Pernod Ricard has signed an agreement for the acquisition of a majority stake in La Hechicera, a Colombian ultra-premium rum company. La Hechicera was launched in 2012 by Miguel and Laura, members of the long-established spirit-producing Riascos family, along with their friend Martamaria Carrillo. The family has been in the rum business for three generations with Casa Santana Ron y Licores.
La Hechicera (“The Enchantress”) is considered an upmarket rum, thanks to its La Hechicera Reserva Familiar, a blend of rums without added sugar, aged in former bourbon barrels made of American white oak.
Two other experimental and innovative rums have since complemented the La Hechicera range: Serie Experimental # 1, finished in Muscat casks and Serie Experimental # 2, naturally infused with organic banana. The brand is already popular among rum enthusiasts, not only in its native Colombia, but also in several international markets such as Europe and the US, as well as in Global Travel Retail.
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Miguel Riascos, the brand’s co-founder and Managing Director said “Due to its previous successful collaborations, Pernod Ricard has shown itself to be the partner of choice for La Hechicera. Pernod Ricard’s passion for terroir and its extensive distribution network will ensure that our brand remains true to its Colombian roots and the vision of its creators, while reaching new consumers.”
In recent years, Pernod Ricard has extended its portfolio of specialty brands from around the world, with partnerships and acquisitions such as German ultra-premium gin Monkey 47, American whiskeys Rabbit Hole Distillery, Smooth Ambler Spirits, Jefferson’s Reserve and Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co., Mexican mezcals Del Maguey and Ojo de Tigre or more recently Spanish vermouth St. Petroni, among others.
Pernod Ricard’s other rum brands include Malibu, an original Caribbean coconut rum and Havana Club, the world’s No. 3 international rum brand.
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. The closing of the transaction is expected in the coming weeks subject to certain customary conditions.
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