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Bacardi buys bottled cocktail brand Tails

Spirits firm Bacardi has acquired pre-batched cocktail company Tails for an undisclosed sum.

The Tails range of bottled cocktails are made with Bacardi’s portfolio of spirits

Bermuda-based Bacardi first acquired a minority stake in bottled cocktail maker Tails in 2018. Founded in London in 2010 by Nick Wall, Tails offers a ‘hassle-free approach to serving premium quality cocktails’ in on-trade venues.

Wall said: “Our mission at Tails has always been to make high-quality cocktails more accessible to people whether they are in their local pub or at a music festival. I know that Bacardi believes in this mission as much as I do, and not only that, they make fantastic quality drinks too. It’s why their brands are at the heart of Tails cocktails and why they are the perfect company to write the next chapter for Tails.”

The Tails range is made using Bacardi’s portfolio of brands, including its namesake rum, Bombay Sapphire gin and St-Germain elderflower liqueur.

The collection of bottled drinks includes the Bacardi rum-based Classic and Berry Mojitos, the Passion Fruit and Espresso Martini cocktails, both made with 42 Below vodka, and the Garden Spritz and Negroni, which are both made with Bombay Dry Gin. The drinks come in one-litre glass bottles and can make eight to 10 cocktails.

Since the initial deal with Bacardi, Tails has expanded beyond the UK to 10 further markets across Western Europe.

Bacardi CEO Mahesh Madhavan said Tails will help to drive revenue for struggling venues amid the pandemic.

He said: “The hospitality industry is facing extraordinary challenges, but make no mistake, our brands are built in bars and the on-trade continues to be a priority for Bacardi.

“We are offering bars and restaurants all our support to help them climb out of this crisis, including smart solutions to help them drive business and profit. Tails is a perfect example.

“Tails opens up the world of premium cocktails to bars which could never otherwise entertain the idea and at the same time it will open up a new revenue stream when they need it most.”

In September 2018, Tails updated its brand identity as it sought to make mixed drinks “more accessible and more consistent”.

Last month, Bacardi tapped into at-home cocktails with the launch of Twistails pods, which can make Mojitos and Daiquiris.

The past few months has seen a number of major drinks firms acquire pre-made cocktail producers.

In September, US firm Beam Suntory purchased pre-mixed cocktail company On The Rocks after owning a minority stake in the brand. The bottled cocktails are made using Beam Suntory’s spirits range.

A month later, Jack Daniel’s owner Brown-Forman agreed to acquire canned ready-to-drink producer Part Time Rangers for an undisclosed sum.

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