Heaven Hill Brands today acquired Samson & Surrey, including its portfolio of brands and facilities. The acquisition of Samson & Surrey further extends Heaven Hill’s portfolio with six high-growth, super-premium brands in several of the industry’s fastest growing categories.
“Throughout our 86-year history, our focus has been building a business with a portfolio of great brands sold through a great team,” said Max Shapira, Heaven Hill President. “The Samson & Surrey portfolio strategically enhances our portfolio with emerging brands in strong growth categories. Together with their team, Heaven Hill is poised to leverage the tremendous potential of these exciting brands.”
About Samson & Surrey
Founded in 2016 by former Bacardi execs Robert Furniss-Roe and Juan Rovira, Samson & Surrey teamed up to build a company with the vision “to create, together, the most admired premium independent spirits portfolio in the world.”
Their strategy identified brands with high levels of differentiation, high-quality liquids and a very high long-term potential for further development.
In order to fulfill the brands’ potential, Juan and Robert have also built a strong commercial and advocacy team with an international presence.
Steeped in craft and authenticity, each of the Samson & Surrey brands has brought new perspectives and tastes that have delighted consumers worldwide. Included in the acquisition are Tequila Ocho, Widow Jane American Whiskey, FEW Spirits, Brenne French Whisky, Bluecoat Gin and Mezcal Vago, along with their unique production facilities and processes. The company will continue as an independent division of Heaven Hill, led by Robert and Juan, with production continuing at each location.
Portfolio Premiumization
Portfolio premiumization is a core element of Heaven Hill’s strategy and key to the company achieving its financial and commercial objectives. We’ve executed this strategy through acquisitions, new product development and prioritization of our existing portfolio of brands.
According to Shanken News Daily, premium and above products are growing at more than 10% over the last five years, led by ultra-premium Tequila and ultra-premium whiskies.
“Over the last five years we have enjoyed unprecedented success thanks to the talents of our team, the truly remarkable award-winning liquids we make, and the engaging consumer stories we tell. The combined talent, scale, and resources of Heaven Hill now present a unique opportunity to provide a long-term home for Samson & Surrey and to further accelerate our growth,” said Robert Furniss-Roe, co-founder and CEO, of Samson & Surrey. “We believe strongly in the potential of our brands which are perfectly positioned to capitalize on the key spirits market trends. We could not be more delighted to join Heaven Hill and work together to continue building a strong portfolio in the premium and super-premium segments,” further commented Juan Rovira, co-founder and COO of Samson & Surrey.
Growth and Diversification through Acquisition
In the last 20 years, Samson & Surrey represents Heaven Hill’s sixth significant acquisition, as part of a broad strategy to diversify the company’s portfolio. Those acquisitions included:
- 2003 – Hpnotiq Liqueur
- 2012 – Admiral Nelson’s Rum
- 2015 – Deep Eddy Vodka
- 2017 – Carolans Irish Cream
- 2019 — Black Velvet Canadian Whiskey