US spirits and wines company Brown-Forman to acquire Fords Gin

Drinks acquisition news : Brown-Forman, a major US spirits and wines company, has agreed to acquire The 86 Company to add Fords Gin, a cocktail gin to its portfolio.

Fords Gin, which is a blend of nine botanicals, begins with a traditional base of juniper and coriander seed, which is balanced by citrus, spices and florals. Steeped for 15 hours prior to distillation, the botanicals in Fords Gin are said to give an aromatic, fresh and floral spirit coupled with elegant notes of grapefruit and jasmine.

Commenting on Brown-Forman acquisition of Fords Gin, Lawson Whiting – President and CEO of Brown-Forman said: “Fords Gin is a unique brand with terrific momentum in one of the fastest growing categories in spirits.

“We look forward to building Fords Gin into another iconic brand in our portfolio.”

Fords Gin is said to have been created in tandem with professional bartenders as a versatile spirit that can be used in any gin-based cocktail, whatever be the recipe ingredients. Simon Ford and eight generation master distiller Charles Maxwell of Thames Distillers collaborated to create the gin.

Simon Ford – co-founder of The 86 Company, commenting on Brown-Forman acquisition of Fords Gin, said: “Brown-Forman is a great partner to bring Fords Gin to more bartenders and consumers in the U.S. and around the world while keeping our commitment to producing a unique, high quality, mixable gin.

“We’re extremely thankful to all our supporters who have been championing the brand since the beginning and look forward to seeing what the future holds with our new collaborators.”

Brown-Forman said that going forward both Simon Ford and The 86 Company team will continue to be a significant part of developing and crafting of Fords Gin.

Brown-Forman acquisition of Fords Gin includes the Fords Gin trademark along with other assets of The 86 Company. The deal, which will be subject to customary closing conditions, is anticipated to be wrapped up within 30 days.