Sazerac Company, Inc.

What does Sazerac own?
Sazerac owns more than 525 spirits brands, including Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Blanton's, Pappy Van Winkle, W.L. Weller, E.H. Taylor Jr., George T. Stagg, 1792 Ridgemont Reserve, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, Southern Comfort, BuzzBallz, Svedka Vodka, Wheatley Vodka, Myers's Rum, Parrot Bay, Tequila Rose, Goldschläger, Tuaca, 99 Brand, Dr. McGillicuddy's, Peychaud's Bitters, Paul John Indian Single Malt, and the pending acquisition of Au Vodka. Over 215 brands have been acquired since 1989.

Is Sazerac publicly traded?
No. Sazerac is a privately held company controlled by the Goldring family. It is not listed on any stock exchange and does not publicly disclose audited financial results. Net sales figures are provided by the company to media outlets including Forbes.

Who founded Sazerac?
The Sazerac Coffee House was established in 1850 in New Orleans. Thomas H. Handy purchased the coffee house in 1869 and built the business that was formally organized as the Sazerac Company in 1919. The modern company was built under the leadership of William Goldring, who acquired control in the 1980s.

Where is Sazerac headquartered?
Sazerac is co-headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky and Metairie, Louisiana, both in the United States. The Louisville office oversees bourbon and American whiskey operations, including Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. The Metairie office oversees New Orleans heritage brands.

How many brands does Sazerac own?
Sazerac owns more than 525 brands worldwide, with over 215 brands acquired since 1989. The portfolio spans bourbon, American whiskey, rye, vodka, rum, liqueurs, ready-to-drink cocktails, tequila, cognac, and bitters.

Who owns Sazerac?
Sazerac is owned by the Goldring family. William Goldring serves as Chairman. The family has owned the company since the 1980s and has reinvested profits into production capacity and brand acquisitions rather than pursuing a public listing.

Has Sazerac made major acquisitions recently?
Yes. Sazerac acquired BuzzBallz for approximately US$1 billion in 2024, Svedka Vodka from Constellation Brands for approximately US$400 million in 2025, and signed a binding agreement to acquire Au Vodka for a reported valuation of approximately £500 million in August 2026. The company was also reported to have made a US$15 billion bid for Brown-Forman in 2026, though this remains unconfirmed.

What is Sazerac's revenue?
Sazerac reported net sales exceeding US$6 billion on a trailing twelve months basis ending December 2025, according to figures the company provided to Forbes in May 2026. The company employs more than 8,000 people worldwide.

The Sazerac Company traces its origins to 1850, when the Sazerac Coffee House was established in New Orleans, Louisiana. The coffee house served a cocktail made with Sazerac de Forge et Fils cognac, absinthe, and Peychaud's Bitters, which became known as the Sazerac cocktail, widely considered one of the first true cocktail recipes. The cocktail is the official cocktail of New Orleans.

In 1869, Thomas H. Handy purchased the Sazerac Coffee House from J.B. Schiller. Handy was a bartender and businessman who also produced Peychaud's Bitters, which remains in the Sazerac portfolio today. The Sazerac Company name was formally adopted in 1919.

Through the early and mid-20th century, the company operated as a regional New Orleans spirits business, producing and distributing bitters, cognac, and other spirits. The modern era of Sazerac began in the 1980s and 1990s under the leadership of William Goldring, who acquired control of the company and began building a national and then international portfolio through acquisition.

The acquisition strategy accelerated dramatically after 1989. Sazerac has acquired more than 215 brands since that year, building the portfolio from a regional New Orleans business to a global spirits company with more than 525 brands. Major acquisitions included the Seagram's distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky (renamed Buffalo Trace Distillery) in 1992, which gave Sazerac the production capacity and brand portfolio that became the foundation of its bourbon business.

The Buffalo Trace Distillery acquisition brought brands including Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, W.L. Weller, Blanton's, and E.H. Taylor Jr. into the portfolio. The Van Winkle family partnership, which produced Pappy Van Winkle, was formalized under Sazerac's ownership, with Buffalo Trace producing the whiskey for the Van Winkle label.

In 2024, Sazerac acquired BuzzBallz LLC (dba Southern Champion) for approximately US$1 billion, adding the spherical ready-to-drink cocktail brand to the portfolio. In 2025, Sazerac acquired Svedka Vodka from Constellation Brands for approximately US$400 million, adding the second-largest imported vodka brand in the United States by volume. In 2026, Sazerac acquired Dirty Shirley RTD cocktails and invested in SipMARGS and 818 Spirits, the Kendall Jenner-backed tequila brand.

In August 2026, Sazerac signed a binding agreement to acquire Au Vodka, the Swansea, Wales-based premium vodka and RTD brand. The reported valuation of approximately £500 million would make it one of Sazerac's largest acquisitions. The deal is expected to close within weeks, subject to customary completion conditions.

Also in 2026, Sazerac was reported to have made an unsolicited approach to Brown-Forman (NYSE: BF.A/BF.B), the owner of Jack Daniel's, and later a reported US$15 billion bid. The approach was unconfirmed as of late 2026, but a combined entity would have more than US$12 billion in revenue and would create the largest American-owned spirits company by a significant margin.

Sazerac publishes an environmental policy and code of conduct on its corporate website, but does not publish a standalone detailed annual sustainability report comparable to public spirits companies.

White Oak Initiative: Sazerac supports the White Oak Initiative, a partnership focused on sustainable white oak forest management in the eastern United States. White oak is the primary wood used for bourbon barrels, and sustainable forest management is critical to the long-term viability of the bourbon industry. Sazerac has auctioned E.H. Taylor barrels to support the initiative.

Wastewater Treatment: Sazerac upgraded its Northwest Ordinance Distilling (NOD) facility with a Xylem anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) system, which the company reports improved effluent quality by approximately 99%. The system reduces the environmental impact of distillery wastewater discharge.

Community Partnerships: In August 2026, Sazerac partnered with the Brightside Foundation to sponsor litter bins and community cleanups in Louisville, Kentucky, where the company has its principal office.

Climate Commitments: Sazerac has not publicly committed to a net-zero target date or Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) validation as of 2026. The company's private ownership means it is not subject to the ESG disclosure requirements that apply to public spirits companies like Diageo and Pernod Ricard.

Sazerac and its brands have received significant industry recognition in 2025 and 2026:

• IWSC 2025 Bourbon Whiskey Producer Trophy: Sazerac won the International Wine and Spirits Competition's Bourbon Whiskey Producer Trophy in November 2025.
• 2025 World Whiskies Awards and Icons of Whisky: Sazerac brands won seven top honors, including World's Best Single Barrel Bourbon for Blanton's Straight from the Barrel and Best Kentucky Small Batch Bourbon for 1792.
• 2026 North American Bourbon and Whiskey Competition: Sazerac crafted 6 of the 7 Double Gold bourbons awarded at the competition.
• 2026 International Whisky Competition: Sazerac swept the world's best bourbons list.
• Gentleman's Journal Drinks Awards 2026: Sazerac Rye Straight won 1st place and Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon won 3rd place.

Fireball and Parrot Bay Class-Action Lawsuits: Class-action lawsuits filed in New York allege that Sazerac misleadingly labeled malt-based versions of Fireball Cinnamon and Parrot Bay, which have lower alcohol by volume than the original spirits versions but use similar packaging. A judge certified class status in September 2025, allowing the case to proceed as a class action. The case is ongoing.

Southern Comfort Malt False-Advertising Class Action: A separate class-action lawsuit alleging false advertising for Southern Comfort Malt received class certification in 2025. The case is ongoing.

BuzzBallz Patent Case: In January 2026, Sazerac lost a patent case against Patco Brands over spherical-can packaging for ready-to-drink cocktails. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Patent Trial and Appeal Board invalidated Sazerac's asserted patents. The case relates to the spherical can design used by BuzzBallz, which Sazerac acquired in 2024.

Pappy Van Winkle Counterfeit Suit: In July 2026, Buffalo Trace and Sazerac filed a lawsuit to stop social media impersonation and counterfeit bourbon sales using the Pappy Van Winkle name. The case targets individuals and accounts selling counterfeit or mislabeled bourbon to consumers seeking the highly allocated brand.