Sazerac is acquiring Texas-based Western Son Vodka and Distillery, the company announced today.
“We are excited to bring Western Son to Sazerac,” said Jake Wenz, CEO of Sazerac, in a press release. “The company has created a strong brand and it provides us an opportunity to continue to augment our portfolio, while also adding additional production capacity and capabilities to our network.”
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Founded in 2011, Western Son was acquired by Florida-based Splash Beverage Group, whose portfolio includes SALT Tequila and Copa di Vino. At the time Western Son’s 150,000-plus square foot production and distribution campus in north Texas was the biggest catch for Splash, and may hint at Sazerac’s motivations after the company recently invested in other Texas-based facilities and products.
For Splash, the Western Sons location was meant to serve as a centralized production and distribution hub for the group’s existing brands in addition to any future acquisitions, creating logistics cost savings in favorable shipping lanes, reducing freight expense and ultimately increasing margins.
At the time of the Splash acquisition, Western Son had sold 309,000 9-liter cases over the past year, and generated 80% of its volume from 11 states. The vodka is now distributed in 46 states. To create a bigger footprint, Splash planned to build on the brand’s identity as a “western spirit,” positioning it as an alternative to the leading spirit and fellow Texas brand, Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Companies like Lone River’s Ranch Water have found a national audience by leaning into the same ethos and celebration of its Texas roots.
Now the vodka and gin label joins Sazerac’s expanding spirits portfolio alongside Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Traveller Whiskey, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, Southern Comfort, SVEDKA Vodka, and more.
Another recent Sazerac acquisition was also a Texas company – Southern Champion, the maker of BuzzBallz. That acquisition included other Southern Champion brands Biggies, Uptown Cocktails, Sip Sip Hooray, and Texas Craft, among others.
Sazerac just this week announced another move in Texas, partnering with Molson Coors-aligned wholesaler Andrews Distributing on three new ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, adding a regional portfolio to the spirit company’s expanding RTD business.
Sazerac news aside, the last week has been a big one for Texas spirits: Tito’s Handmade Vodka struck a deal to acquire a majority stake in LALO Tequila, a fast-growing Austin-based tequila brand often dubbed the “Tito’s of tequila.”