Tan’s Grupo Emperador seals purchase of Fundador

MANILA, Philippines – Andrew Tan’s Grupo Emperador Spain S.A. has completed the purchase of Bodegas Fundador from Beam Suntory, paving the way for the birth of the world’s biggest brandy company and marking yet another global acquisition deal by a Philippine company.

Emperador’s Grupo Emperador Spain concluded the deal in a ceremony Tuesday night (Manila time) in Jerez, Spain’s brandy capital with Fundador employees and Spain’s local officials welcoming the new owners.

 Grupo Emperador Spain S.A. managing director Jorge Domeq said the turnover of one of Spain’s most iconic, largest and oldest brandy production facility 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 here in Spain,” Domeq said.

During ceremonial turnover, Tan, chairman of Emperador, said there would be opportunities for innovation and creativity in Spain’s brandy and sherry industry.

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

With the acquisition, Tan said, the goal is to create the world’s best brandy.

“If the world’s best whiskies are aged in sherry casks in Jerez, 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 sizable inventory of brandy that has been aged for more than 50 years. Once they are bottled, they should become one of the most valuable brandies in the world,” Tan said.

 The deal also covers the acquisition of Terry Centenario, Spain’s number one selling brandy; Tres Cepas, Equatorial Guinea’s number one brandy; and Harveys, United Kingdom’s number one selling sherry wine.

Emperador said these brands carry a unique heritage and market leadership position in their respective categories.

Fundador Brandy is the largest and oldest brandy in Spain and has been an icon of Spanish culture and heritage in the Philippines,  Emperador’s acquisition of Bodegas Fundador also includes production facilities, ageing cellars, vineyeards and state-of-the-art blending and bottling facilities. 

Bodegas Fundador is Spain’s largest and oldest brandy cellars established in 1730.

Emperador is the liquor unit of Tan’s Alliance Global Group Inc.

Last year, Emperador acquired Whyte and Mackay Limited, the world’s fifth largest Scotch whiskey company.

Among its brands are The Dalmore and Jura Single Malt Scotch Whiskies, Whyte & Mackay and John Barr Blended Scotch Whiskies, and Vladivar Vodka.