Blue Sky Drinks names new CEO
Australia’s Blue Sky Drinks Co has appointed Paul Slaughter as CEO to lead the company’s next phase of growth, which includes the launch of an agave spirit.
Slaughter joins the company from Australian food and soft drinks distributor Stellar Distribution, where he also served as CEO. Prior to that he was CEO at Harvest Road Group and has held other senior leadership roles at Campbell Arnott’s and Procter & Gamble.
His appointment comes as Blue Sky Drinks aims to ‘fast-track plans’ of becoming Australia’s largest independent spirits and ready-to-drink (RTD) business.
The company was created in October 2025 as a merger between two Australian firms: Top Shelf International (TSI) and RTD brand Gravity. The merger rescued TSI after it had entered voluntary administration earlier in the year.
Blue Sky Drinks then took on its spirits portfolio, which includes Australian whisky Ned, whisky-based liqueur Golden Bickie, and Grainshaker vodka.
On joining as CEO, where he will lead the next phase of growth, Slaughter said: “I’ve led or worked on a lot of quality businesses with great people in the past, and I can honestly say that this small but building team punches incredibly above its weight.
“What they’ve achieved since December is nothing short of incredible: a major acquisition and integration of assets and brands, keeping all brands tracking well, on shelf, and servicing customers. That takes a particular kind of resilience and genuine belief in the vision… you cannot manufacture that.”
Blue Sky Drinks’ founder and chairman, Mick Spencer, added: “It’s been a huge six months since the merger and we’ve achieved an enormous amount in that time, reducing AU$10 million of our cost base and increasing active outlets by 50%.
“Paul brings more than two decades of executive leadership experience, he’s led some incredible Australian brands through periods of transformation and growth, understands complex operations and has a proven ability to build high-performing teams.”
Sollos agave spirit
The next phase of growth, which Slaughter will oversee, includes the launch of agave spirits brand Sollos.
TSI also produced another Australian spirits brand in Act of Treason, for which The Spirits Business has reached out to Blue Sky Drinks about the status.
Dubbed Australia’s ‘first’ single-estate agave spirit, Sollos will launch later this month (July). It will have four expressions, each crafted from 100% Australian-grown agave and additive-free: Whitsundays Blanco, Whitsundays Reposado, Whitsundays Añejo, and a distiller’s release, Whitsundays Reposado.
Its cellar door by the 1,000-acre agave farm near Airlie Beach, in the Whitsundays, will also open to the public from late August. Visitors will be offered a full farm-to-glass experience at the North Queensland estate.
Said by Blue Sky Drinks to be the world’s largest agave farm outside of Mexico, it is home to 580,000 Blue Weber plants.
Blue Sky Drinks also highlighted headway through the rest of its portfolio.
Following 100% year-on-year growth, Australian RTD brand Gravity is being readied for a ‘huge run’ in the Australian summer with cricketer and part-owner Travis Head as its new ambassador.
Meanwhile, Ned’s ‘Australia’s Best Beard’ campaign now has five million impressions across television, radio and online. The Australian whisky has also gained distribution across Sodexo mining sites.
Furthermore, the launch of a whisky-flavoured liqueur called Bickie is also said to be imminent. Blue Sky Drinks said the new liqueur is ‘built on the success of Golden Bickie’ and will feature in a special 50ml format for premium sampling.
“As founders, we naturally spend a lot of time creating opportunities, building relationships and thinking about what’s next,” added Spencer.
“Most founders aren’t great CEOs. I have been a founder five times now, and I pride myself on knowing I am not a great CEO once a business is stable, to take it to new heights.
“Paul’s appointment allows us to complement that entrepreneurial mindset with experienced executive leadership focused on customer development, execution, people development and scalable systems.
“I expect he’ll strengthen every part of the organisation, but most importantly, he’ll help create an environment where great people can do their best work and where our brands can continue to grow.”
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