Next Century Spirits acquires key Southwest Spirits & Wine brand assets

Next Century Spirits (NCS) has announced a significant acquisition of a majority of the brand assets of Southwest Spirits & Wine (SSW), marking a major expansion in its portfolio and strategic positioning within the spirits industry. This acquisition includes prominent brands such as Nue Vodka, The Other 49 Bourbon, Sixty Men Bourbon, Calamity Gin, Henderson Whiskey, and George Ocean Rum.

The acquisition centers around Nue Vodka, which reports an impressive annual distribution of approximately 220,000 9L cases across 29 states. This makes Nue Vodka the largest brand within the transaction and highlights its status as the fastest-growing vodka brand amongst the top 10 mid-tier priced vodkas in 2023. Nue Vodka is also recognized as the Official Premium Vodka of the 2023 World Series Champion Texas Rangers, showcasing its significant cultural and market impact.

Anthony Moniello, Co-CEO of Next Century Spirits, expressed his enthusiasm about the acquisition: “We are thrilled to expand our portfolio with this collection of brands, including Nue Vodka. Our ambition is to become a trusted, long-term spirits partner with a diverse portfolio, and the recent acquisition of SSW brand assets allows us to diversify our business and accelerate our timeline.”

Next Century Spirits acquires key Southwest Spirits & Wine brands, including Nue Vodka. Photo courtesy of PRNewswire/Next Century Spirits.

Adding to the strategic importance of this acquisition, Rob Mason, Co-CEO of Next Century Spirits, highlighted the fit of these brands within current consumer trends: “Southwest Spirits portfolio is a fantastic collection of young brands that fits key consumer trends and gets us into the vodka, gin, and bourbon categories in a big way.”

Matthew Bronfman, Executive Chairman of the Board of Next Century Spirits and a noted member of the Bronfman family, which owned the famed Seagram Company, remarked on the growth aspirations of NCS: “These are exciting times for Next Century Spirits as we continue our journey to build the next multinational spirits company. A truly momentous day for our team.”

This acquisition by Next Century Spirits is a calculated move to enhance its market share and brand diversity in the competitive spirits industry. By acquiring these specific brands, NCS not only broadens its product range but also strategically positions itself across multiple key spirits categories including vodka, bourbon, and gin. This diversification can potentially lead to increased market penetration and brand recognition, propelling NCS towards its goal of becoming a top industry supplier.