Pernod Ricard, the world's second-largest wine and spirits company based in France, has agreed to sell the Czech herbal liqueur Becherovka to Poland’s Maspex Group in an undisclosed deal. As part of the transaction, Maspex, the largest private Polish food company and one of the largest in Central and Eastern Europe, will also acquire the production and logistics facilities of the brand located in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, which includes Becherovka's visitor center.
Highlighting Becherovka's status as one of the world's leading bitter brands, especially in Central Europe, Pernod Ricard mentioned that the herbal liqu, eur achieved sales of nearly 600,000 nine-litre cases in 2022.
Fabrice Audan, CEO of Pernod Ricard Wyborowa and the Pernod Ricard Central and Eastern Europe management entity, explained, "The sale of Becherovka is part of our active portfolio management, and we will remain focused on our strong ambitions in Europe with a refined portfolio strategy. We hope the new owner of this iconic brand will continue to build on the strong success we have achieved over the years."
Established in 1807, Becherovka is crafted using approximately 20 herbs and spices and has 38% ABV. The brand has expanded its range in recent years, introducing a low-ABV lemon-flavored variant and Becherovka Unfiltered.
Maspex's acquisition of Becherovka follows its earlier purchase of nine Polish vodka brands, including Żubrówka, from Russian producer Roust for USD 973 million in November 2021.
Krzysztof Pawinski, CEO of Maspex Group, expressed, "Becherovka is a heritage brand deeply ingrained in local tradition, offering significant growth potential. This marks our 21st transaction overall and the second deal in the spirits segment, an area where we perceive vast opportunities. We extend our gratitude to Pernod Ricard for trusting our vision and to all the parties supporting us in this competitive auction."
Maspex's acquisition of Becherovka is contingent on customary conditions and is anticipated to be finalized by the end of June 2024.
