When the Philippines conquered Spain

When Andrew Tan graduated from the University of the East in 1974, his father, pleased that his son completed his education despite the family’s limited means, allowed his son a rare treat: a small get-together at home with a bottle of Fundador. The proud dad, a part-time factory worker who originally hailed from Hong Kong, invited his friends to celebrate the milestone in his son Andrew’s life.

Dr. Andrew Tan is now one of Asia’s wealthiest men, and according to his son Kevin, he has always associated a bottle of Fundador with celebrating an achievement, a milestone. “He really has a sentimental attachment to the brand,” Kevin shared during a recent lunch with media.

Small wonder that when he conquered the world of brandy with his homegrown Emperador brand, he decided to go a step further. He wanted to celebrate his business’ success with Fundador — not just with a bottle this time, but with casks and vineyards to go with it.

Fundador Brandy is the largest and oldest brandy in Spain, if not in the world, and is an icon of Spanish culture and heritage. In fact, “Fundador” means “Founder.” Fundador has also been an iconic premium liquor brand in the Philippines, a brandy-drinking nation, according to Kevin Tan.

On Nov. 30, 2015, just over eight months ago, Tan’s Emperador closed a P13.8-billion agreement with Beam Suntory for the purchase of Bodegas Fundador and on March 2 this year, the purchase was completed. I’m sure both representatives of Emperador and Fundador raised their brandy glasses in a toast to that — the birth of the world’s largest brandy company.

Almost five centuries ago, the islands now known as the Philippines were conquered by the kingdom of Spain.

The world has shrunk, and in many cases, has lost its borders due to free trade, shared cultures, intermarriages and boggling advances in communication.

With an iconic Spanish brand now owned by a Filipino company, you could say that when it comes to brandy, the Philippines has reversed history and conquered Spain.

Salud! Or should I say, Mabuhay?

Emperador Inc. president Winston Co and Alliance Global Inc. executive director Kevin Tan. Photos by JOANNE RAE RAMIREZ

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“A new era begins not just for Fundador, but the whole brandy and sherry industry in Spain,” said Tan in Jerez last March. “This is an era that will bring in more innovation and ideas.”

Tan’s goal is to create the world’s best brandy.

“If the world’s best whisky is aged in sherry casks in Jerez (which means “sherry”), then many of the brandy products now aged in sherry casks in Jerez should become the best brandy in the world. In Bodegas Fundador, we have a sizeable inventory of brandy that has been aged more than 50 years. Once they are bottled, they should become one of the most valuable brandies in the world,” Tan said.

Among the prominent world personalities who have visited Jerez was former President Cory Aquino, who even signed an oak barrel in Jerez in 1992.

For his part, Grupo Emperador Spain managing director Jorge Domecq said the turnover of the oldest, largest and most iconic brandy brand to Emperador is a major milestone for the company.

“With the combined brandy production facilities of Emperador and Fundador, the world’s largest brandy company is born. We now have almost 1,500 hectares of vineyard land in Spain, around one million square meters of cellar and bottling facilities and four distilleries worldwide,” declared Domecq.

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The acquisition was an all cash offer of 275 million euros or some P13.8 billion. Emperador Inc. president Winston Co said during a recent lunch with media that the Philippines’ robust economy made the company very viable, and much respected in the international banking community and made the acquisition smooth as brandy.

He said Fundador was “ecstatic” when it was acquired by Tan’s Emperador because of the energy the latter brought into it.

The acquisition of Fundador has strengthened Emperador’s dominant position as the No. 1 brandy company in the Philippines and the world.

“Our expanded portfolio (which includes Whyte & Mackay) will have access to more than 100 countries around the world. In our pipeline are several proudly Philippine-made products that we intend to introduce to the international markets starting next year,” Co added.

The union of Emperador and Fundador was witnessed by Andrew Tan, Jerez Mayor Carmen Sanchez and Philippine Ambassador to Spain Carlos Salinas and other officials of Jerez.

It was a proud moment for all. After all, not only has Emperador conquered Spain with the acquisition of the 286-year-old Bodegas Fundador — it has conquered the world by becoming its largest brandy company.

Definitely, I’d say “Mabuhay!” to that!

Grupo Emperador Spain managing director Jorge Domecq and Emperador Inc. chairman Andrew Tan inspect the company’s vineyards in Spain in 2013.

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It’s not just Fundador that is being produced by Tan’s brandy conglomerate in Spain. Emperador Brandy will soon be produced on the most modern vineyards in Spain, which has the largest vineyards in Europe dedicated to brandy production.

Unlike traditional Spanish vineyards, Emperador’s Toledo vineyard features state-of-the-art technology that promotes high production of grapes while reducing production cost.

“With this total integration in our brandy production, we’re in the best position to continue making Emperador the No. 1 brandy in the world,” Domecq declared.

Emperador is part of the Alliance Global Group of Companies, a major global conglomerate engaged in real estate development, tourism entertainment and gaming, food and beverage and quick-service restaurants.

It is said that when Andrew Tan was mulling over a name for the brandy that he was building in the Philippines, he asked a friend for suggestions. At first, the friend suggested “Conquistador.” After sleeping over it, Tan thought that “Conquistador” connoted takeovers and alluded too much to a colonial past. The friend then suggested, “Emperador.”

However you look at it, the brandy is a conquistador, an “emperor” taking over the world in a most pleasant, relaxing way.

(You may e-mail me at [email protected].)