Emperador acquires Spanish brandy firm

Taipan Andrew Tan has taken a crucial step toward overseas expansion with the acquisition by his beverage unit Emperador Distillers Inc. of Bodega San Bruno S.A., a brandy company based in Jerez, Spain.

Emperador, the wholly owned beverage subsidiary of Tan’s Alliance Global Group Inc., has signed a deal to buy the Spanish brandy maker from González Byass S.A., one of the biggest and oldest liquor and wine conglomerates in Spain.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Monday, AGI said Emperador would acquire a 100-percent interest in Bodega San Bruno. The deal includes the acquisition of the San Bruno trademark, which has been registered since 1942. It also comprises vineyards in Jerez, the brandy-producing region of Spain, as well as a sizable inventory of high-quality and well-matured brandy now being stored and aged in sherry casks in the bodegas, or wineries, in Jerez. The price consideration was not disclosed.

Tan’s beverage unit is the leading Philippine liquor firm in terms of sales volume and the biggest-selling brandy brand in the world also by volume. Emperador said it sold more than 31 million cases of brandy in 2012.

“We are very pleased with our acquisition of San Bruno, which will enable us to own one of the world’s best brandy stock—some of it quite rare and aged for more than 40 years in the bodegas. This acquisition will also further strengthen our position as the world’s No. 1 brandy company by volume and help boost our competitiveness as a global brandy producer,” said Emperador president Winston Co.

Brandy is currently being manufactured by EDI under the Emperador and Generoso labels. Emperador has been in the market for 19 years while Generoso was introduced in late 2006. A flavored alcoholic beverage under the brand name The Bar was soft-launched by the EDI group in November 2008.

“This acquisition is to take position as a global brand. The group can position globally because even their casino business is not only for the domestic market but for the foreign market. They also want other businesses to gain market share abroad,” said Manny Cruz, chief strategist at local stock brokerage Asiasec Equities.

Emperador also recently acquired Diageo Philippines’ Sta. Rosa facilities in a bid to boost its competitiveness and promote Emperador as a strong global brand. Diageo produces global liquor brands like Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B, Buchanan’s, Windsor and Bushmills whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Jose Cuervo, Tanqueray and Guinness.