Sazerac buys Frïs Vodka from Pernod

Sazerac has made its sixth spirits acquisition this year with the purchase of Frïs Vodka from Pernod Ricard for an undisclosed sum.

Sazerac has acquired the Frïs Vodka brand from Pernod Ricard

So far this year, Buffalo Trace owner Sazerac has acquired the Southern Comfort and Tuaca brands from fellow US group Brown-Forman, Paddy Irish Whisky from Pernod Ricard’s Irish Distillers unit, independently-run The Last Drop Distillers, and Australian spirits importer, marketer and distributor South Trade International.

French drinks group Pernod Ricard said the disposal of Frïs Vodka is in line with its strategy to focus on its “priority spirits and wine brands”.

The group has been focused on rebooting growth of its Absolut Vodka brand over the past year, which was hit by a value write down in 2015 amid declining sales.

As well as pumping resources behind the super-premium Absolut Elyx brand extension, Pernod recently said it hoped flavour culls and increased marketing spend would “stabilise” the core range.

Frïs Vodka is a freeze-distilled Danish vodka with annual sales of 250,000 nine-litre cases in the US.

The brand was relaunched in the US by Pernod Ricard-owned The Absolut Company in 2012 with a new bottle design and additional flavoured variants.