Brown-Forman Sells Canadian Mist And Early Times To Sazerac

Brown-Forman has sold a trio of their bargain basement whiskies – Canadian whiskies Canadian Mist and Collingwood, along with Kentucky whiskey, Early Times – to the Sazerac Company. The purchase price was not announced and is expected to be finalized in Summer 2020. While it is undeniably inexpensive, Canadian Mist is the third-best-selling Canadian whiskey in the world.

Brown Forman is selling the bottom shelf whiskies to begin concentrating on premium and super premium brands like Jack Daniel’s and Woodford Reserve.

Early Times [which is due to celebrate its 160th birthday this year] was the first brand Brown-Forman purchased in 1923 — during Prohibition, when liquor makers were able to sell what they had on hand for medicinal purposes only – when Brown-Forman ran out, they purchased Early Times to keep their business alive.

Canadian Mist, on the other hand, was a more recent acquisition – acquired in 1971 – and was the company’s first production operations outside of the United States.

Sazerac has recently also acquired Seagram’s Canadian whiskies from Diageo and already owns Kentucky bourbon, Buffalo Trace, produced from what it claims is the oldest continually operating distillery in the United States.