FRÏS VODKA SOLD TO SAZERAC

TIS THE SEASON of spirit brand sales. Pernod Ricard SA has agreed to sell its Danish vodka brand FRÏS to Sazerac Co. as the French spirits maker continues to refocus its portfolio. The deal to sell FRÏS for an undisclosed amount marks Pernod’s second sale to Sazerac: earlier this year it sold its Paddy Irish whiskey brand to the New Orleans based company in a bid to focus resources on its flagship brand Jameson. The deal marks the latest for Sazerac, which earlier this year snapped up Brown-Forman’s Southern Comfort and Tuaca liqueur brands. While mainstream vodka brands have struggled in the US, consumers have gravitated to brands they perceive as being “craft”. FRÏS is made from whole wheat grain and spring water from wells in northern Denmark and is made using a patented freeze-distillation process. The brand sells 15O,OOO nine-liter cases a year in the US according to Pernod.