Spirits giant Pernod Ricard has signed an agreement with Kirin Brewery to exclusively distribute super premium Japanese whisky FUJI in continental Europe.
Pernod Ricard will distribute the brand across 13 markets, including France, Italy, Poland and other countries in central Europe.
This agreement is the second of its kind between Pernod Ricard and Kirin Brewery after the long-standing partnership to distribute Four Roses bourbon in Europe and beyond, the spirits giant added.
FUJI Whiskey
Produced at the FUJI Gotemba Distillery, it is an aged whisky that embodies Japanese craftsmanship and is available in three variants: single grain, single malt, and single blended.
All three whiskies were awarded 'Gold' in the Japanese Whisky category at the International Spirits Challenge 2023 (ISC: International Spirits Challenge), a liquor competition held in May of this year.
Kirin Brewery launched FUJI in the Japanese market three years ago.
Over the last 10 years, the super-premium plus Japanese whisky category has been growing at an average pace of around 20% in volume outside Japan, IWSR figures showed.
In May of this year, the French Spirits group joined forces with Casa Lumbre and musician, actor, and designer Lenny Kravitz to introduce Mexican spirit Nocheluna Sotol in the European market.
Harvested from the sotol (Dasylirion) plant, native to Chihuahua in Mexico, Nocheluna Sotol is rooted in North Mexican heritage and the region’s natural elements.
The company reported a bigger-than-expected decline in third-quarter sales but said it was confident of delivering a strong performance over the 2022/2023 full year, predicting 'very strong' sales in the fourth quarter.
