Global Brands, an independent drinks distributor launched in 1997 in Derbyshire, UK, has bought the trademarks for Hooch, Hooper’s, and Reef brands from Molson Coors. The biggest branded supplier of packaged cocktails in the UK already produced all three drinks under license since 2012. They will join Global Brands product portfolio including VK, Franklin & Sons premium soft drinks and Amigos Tequila Beer.
Global Brands founder and chairman Steve Perez said he was delighted to welcome the Hooch, Hooper’s and Reef brands to the company’s drinks portfolio. He was convinced that “the deal will reinforce Global Brands’ position as the leading independent producer of RTD brands in the UK.”
“Hooch is a staple of the RTD category sold by major retailers, and is a popular, well-loved brand,” Perez added. “We have lots of ideas for innovation and look forward to sharing these with the trade and consumers shortly.
In November, GlobalBrands announced to spend GBP 2m (USD 2.4m) expanding its site near Chesterfield to meet growing demand for soft drinks, spirits and beer. The investment will increase storage capacity from 30 million bottles to 40 million bottles, across 17,000 pallets Perez said at that time that the investment was just the first phase and that he plasn “to continue investing in our Global Brands Distribution Centre to the point where we can eventually hold one product for every person in the UK.”
Commenting on the sale of the brand rights of the three drinks, Nino Beneta, Molson Coors managing director of export and license in Europe, the Middle East and Africa & in the Asia-Pacific, said that his export and licensing team would continue to focus on its “select portfolio” of international brands such as Coors, Staropramen, Carling, Madri Excepcional and Blue Moon.
