Reports Suggest Sazerac in Talks With Brown-Forman Following Rumors of Pernod Merger

Weeks after news broke of discussions between Pernod Ricard and Brown-Forman about a potential deal, Sazerac is allegedly throwing its hat in the ring. The Kentucky-based spirits producer Sazerac approached Jack Daniel’s maker Brown-Forman about a deal, sources familiar with the matter confirmed to the Wall Street Journal.

Brown-Forman shares spiked following the news of Sazerac’s interest and are up by over 11 percent at the time of publication. A similar jump occurred after reports last month revealed its talks with French spirits supplier Pernod Ricard.

Brown-Forman has a market value of roughly $12.4 billion, and Pernod’s hovers around $19 million. Sazerac is a privately owned company and the only of the three to remain entirely family-owned.

Sazerac holds a broad portfolio of both top-shelf and approachable spirits with brands like Buffalo Trace, E.H. Taylor, and Fireball Cinnamon Whisky. Its 2024 acquisition of BuzzBallz and its more recent purchase of Dirty Shirley have expanded its ready-to-drink (RTD) footprint. Brown-Forman is also a major player in American whiskey and other spirits with Jack Daniel’s and Woodford Reserve as well as El Jimador tequila under its purview.

Initial reports were murky on whether a potential deal between Pernod and Brown-Forman would be a merger or acquisition, and WSJ shared that the two were considering a mostly stock deal. Both companies released individual statements the following day confirming their discussions and referring to the possible deal as a “merger of equals.”

Brown-Forman and Sazerac are both headquartered in Louisville, Ky., whereas Pernod operates from Paris.

The article Reports Suggest Sazerac in Talks With Brown-Forman Following Rumors of Pernod Merger appeared first on VinePair.