Japan & UK: Suntory buys 10% of owner of The Macallan, Highland Park and The Famous Grouse whisky brands

Japanese drinks group Suntory has bought 10% of the shares in Edrington, the owner of whisky brands including The Macallan, Highland Park and The Famous Grouse, for an undisclosed sum, The Drinks Business reported on January 28.

The two companies have worked together since the early 1990s. Suntory is a shareholder in The Macallan and distributes several brands from Edrington portfolio in markets including Japan, Germany, Canada and South Africa, and through joint ventures in the UK, Spain, and Russia.

Edrington and Suntory co-own whisky and Cognac distributor Edrington-Beam Suntory UK, formerly known Maxxium UK.

In a statement, Edrington said the investment would provide “an inflow of funds to Edrington’s principal shareholder, The Robertson Trust, which will allow it to give more to good causes across Scotland”.

Commenting on the news, Scott McCroskie, Edrington CEO, said: “Edrington has a successful long-standing strategic partnership with Suntory. We share a similar ethos and the same passion for craftsmanship, innovation and quality in our brands. We look forward to cementing and building this deep relationship over the coming years.”

Edrington employs over 3,500 people and its portfolio is present in over 100 countries.

It follows news of the closure of Edrington’s operations in Korea by the end of March this year.