German digestif producer Mast-Jägermeister is eyeing growing into a “portfolio company” after expanding into Tequila two years ago.
Having operated under a single-brand model since its inception in 1878, the family-run business acquired a stake in domestic brand Gin Sul in 2018 and in US Tequila brand Teremana in 2022.
Now the company, which has a distribution arm in the UK, is importing Teremana into the UK and has launched in travel retail, with plans for further expansion.
Speaking to Just Drinks at the UK launch of Teremana in London last week, UK managing director Michael Cleary said the company was “in ongoing discussions” over expanding its distribution portfolio.
“My vision here in the UK, since I took over the role five years ago, was always to see how we turn ourselves into that portfolio company,” he said.
While the company is “open for business” in terms of potential tie-ups, Cleary said: “Right now, our focus and the name over the door 100% is Jägermeister and Teremana. We have a fantastic opportunity with Teremana. It's the right brand at the right time in the UK when the category is coming.”
He added: “What we're not really interested in is having ten brands per category. That's not fair on brand owners because it doesn't give them focus on their brand… When you have too many brands in a category and share voices diluted, it doesn’t work.”
Teremana’s three SKUs – blanco, reposado, and añejo – are now available in the US, Canada, Mexico and, since March, global travel retail.
The products will be available in the UK, both the on- and off-premise – including an exclusive retail partnership with supermarket chain Tesco – from 18 June.
Mast-Jägermeister will then look to enter “four or five key markets where Tequila either has a footprint already or we can see [the category] is emerging”, Cleary said.
Jägermeister’s namesake brand has three SKUs – the “core” product, cold-brew coffee and a “premium sipping shot” called Manifest, which are sold in over 150 markets. In the UK, it is largely on-premise focused while in its domestic market, the brand has a more even split between on- and off-premise.
Earlier this year, it opened a miniatures bottle line as part of a project to boost capacity. Last year, it expanded its production site in Kamenz, Saxony, with a new barrel storage facility.
Gin Sul is a German gin made with Portuguese botanicals, and is available in the UK via e-retailer Amazon for £35-40 ($45-51) for a 500ml bottle.
In 2023, Mast-Jägermeister tripled production capacity for the Hamburg-based gin “to meet the anticipated demand during the brand’s regional expansion”. Last year, it launched a new SKU, Gin Sul Laranjal, for the German retail market.
