Campari Group Takes 70% Stake in Wilderness Trail Distillery, Full Control in 2031
Campari Group said it agreed to buy an initial 70% interest,
and in 2031 the remaining 30% interest, of the outstanding capital of Wilderness Trail Distillery, LLC.
Wilderness Trail Distillery, located in Danville, Ky., was launched in 2012 as a ‘premium craft distillery’ with a clear focus on making the highest quality bourbon and rye whiskey. Leveraging the advanced and versatile operational infrastructure, the founders launched in 2018 two premium proprietary Wilderness Trail expressions: Wilderness Trail Bourbon and Wilderness Trail Rye Whiskey.
The portfolio has been further premiumized with the introduction of the high-end silver label 6-year and 8-year bourbon line for a deeper and mature flavor. The average selling prices range from $55 for the 75cl Wilderness Trail Bourbon to USD75+ for the 6 & 8-year old bourbon expressions.
The founders and current shareholders, Shane Baker and Dr. Pat Heist, are fermentation experts with more than 20 years’ experience producing whiskey, consistently recognized as pioneers in the engineering, research and development, fermentation and distilling activities. The distillery’s proprietary infusion mashing process and sweet mash technique have a highly flexible output driven by the multiple mash bills and yeast strains, crafting bourbons and rye
whiskeys with distinctive flavors.
Bob Kunze-Concewitz, Campari Group CEO, said:
"We are very excited to take a controlling interest in world-class Wilderness Trail Distillery. By adding the fast-growing super premium Wilderness Trail brand we further expand and premiumize our bourbon offering, priming it to become Campari Group’s second major leg after the aperitif portfolio. Moreover, we accelerate our premiumization journey, further enriching our RARE portfolio, the division aimed to unlock and accelerate the growth potential of a select range of high-end individual expressions in our core premium spirits
markets.
"In addition, we have the opportunity to significantly expand our production capacity and ageing inventory to satisfy the future growth of our premium bourbons, such as the high potential Whiskey Barons range, currently capped due to capacity constraints. We are very excited to partner with such a strong team of industry pioneers and distilling experts allowing us to accelerate and significantly expand the innovation platform for our bourbon portfolio."