French spirits group Maison Ferrand has fully acquired UK distributor Identity Drinks.

The French spirits distributor and distiller has been the majority shareholder of Identity Drinks since 2017 when it acquired a 60% stake.

Its move to buy the rest of the shares of the business was announced without the disclosure of the financial terms of the deal.

Matthieu Gouze, Maison Ferrand’s sales director of EMEA-APAC for the last 11 years, has been appointed as the managing director of Identity Drinks, which has been renamed Maison Ferrand UK.

“Acquiring Identity Drinks is a significant step for Maison Ferrand. Our priority is to invest in our brand's growth, our distribution brand portfolio, and our people,” Gouze said.

“This development reinforces our commitment to the UK market and allows us to expand our portfolio while maintaining our tradition of creativity and quality, staying close to the people who have supported us in this market for the past 15 years.”

Maison Ferrand said the move to set up the fully owned UK arm is a “natural extension” following the establishment of operations in Germany in 2000 and the US in 2022.

The company was founded in 1989 by Alexandre Gabriel. Its first product was Ferrand Cognac, a Grande Champagne Cognac. Its portfolio now includes Citadelle gin, Planteray rum, Canerock rum and Ferrand Dry Curaçao.

“As a family business, the full acquisition of Identity Drinks and the creation of Maison Ferrand UK is a joyful moment for us,” Maison Ferrand founder and master blender Alexandre Gabriel said.

“With our dedicated team, we aim to continue creating premium spirits that reflect who we are and bring pleasure to those who drink them. We are excited to deepen our connection with the UK market.”

In 2017, Maison Ferrand bought its first distillery outside of France with the purchase of the West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados. The company said the acquisition gave it control over the production of the then Plantation rum, which it launched in 2003. Maison Ferrand previously aged and blended rums it selected from a number of Caribbean distilleries.

The group renamed its Plantation Rum in 2020 to Planteray Rum after acknowledging the branding’s “hurtful connotation”.