HEAVEN HILL GOES FOR A TASTE OF IRELAND

THE IRISH WHISKEY category has been on fire for the last few years and Heaven Hill is counting on a bit of that Irish luck coming its way in the near future.  The Kentucky-based drinks company has purchased Carolans liqueur and Irish Mist liqueur and whiskey from Gruppo Campari.  According to Campari the price was $165 million and the sale includes Carolans Irish Cream and Irish Mist (Irish Mist Liqueur and Irish Mist Whiskey) trademarks, as well as inventory and production assets.  Campari will continue to distribute the products outside the United States.  Last year, the brands had total net sales of about $39.6 million, according to Campari.  The purchase gives Heaven Hill new assets in two growing markets.  The cream liqueur segment of the industry sells about 3 million cases a year and is about 2O percent of the total imported liqueur market in the United States. Carolans has grown more than 6 percent since 2O1O, outpacing much of the category, Heaven Hill said. Irish whiskey is up over 15O percent since 2O1O.