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Quintessential Brands Buys First Ireland Spirits

/ 3rd April 2014 /
Subeditor

First Ireland Spirits has been bought by European drinks group Quintessential Brands for an undisclosed sum. Established in 1993, First Ireland is the country’s largest independent producer of Irish cream liqueurs and country creams, and employs around 50 people.

Quintessential Brands says that the multi-million euro purchase is part of an ongoing acquisition strategy for complementary brands. It already owns a range of popular gin and vodka brands.

According to the firms' co-founder and director, Warren Scott: “The acquisition of First Ireland Spirits offers us an unrivalled foothold in the global market for Irish cream liqueurs and is part of our corporate strategy to become a leading European independent player in the global spirits industry.”

First Ireland Spirts 810 2

First Ireland is based in Abbeyleix, Co. Laois, with an international sales and marketing hub in Dublin. The company produces and sells over 700,000 cases of Irish cream liqueurs across 35 markets worldwide for some of the world's largest retailers and drinks companies.

In Association with

First Ireland Spirits' main brands include O'Mara's Irish Country Cream, Feeney's Irish Cream Liqueur and The Dubliner Irish Whiskey Liqueur, while leading private label clients include SuperValu, Dunnes Stores, Tesco, Asda, Walmart and Woolworths (Australia).

Speaking about the acquisition, Owen Brady, one of the founders of First Ireland Spirits, said: “It is an appropriate point in time for First Ireland Spirits to become part of a larger spirits group. As part of Quintessential Brands, First Ireland Spirits will now have the opportunity to grow sales in the international Irish cream markets as well as expand into other Irish spirits categories.”

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