Distillery Coordinator

Sazerac unveils Svedka Vodka Water RTDs. 12 June 2026 By Rupert Hohwieler Svedka Vodka, owned by Sazerac, has launched a ready-to-drink (RTD) range called Vodka Water, which is packaged in fully transparent cans. The company claims the product is the world's 'first' transparent canned vodka water. "Consumers are redefining what they want from drinking occasions. They want options that fit seamlessly into their lives without sacrificing flavour or fun," said David Binder, senior brand director at Svedka. "Svedka Vodka Water is our answer to that shift. It's Vodka Water 2.0: a new take on a classic combination that raises the bar on both taste and transparency, delivering a cleaner, more effortless way to drink this summer in the category's first completely clear can." Svedka's vodka waters come in four flavours: strawberry, peach, lime, and pineapple. Each can contains the brand's vodka, purified water and a crisp fruit flavour. They are non-carbonated, contain 90 calories and zero sugar, and sit at 4.5% ABV. The range will be rolled out nationwide in the US this month in eight-pack multipacks and 350ml single cans. The brand's Svedbot will also return to support the launch in a new ad spot produced by San Francisco-based AI innovation lab Silverside. Set in a sweltering rooftop party 'pushed to the edge by extreme heat', the Svedbot is seen cooling down with an ice-cold Vodka Water to transform the rooftop's atmosphere. Binder added: "Svedka has always embraced what's next, and with Svedka Vodka Water, we're bringing that same spirit of innovation to a category ready for a clear difference. "Our latest ad brings the Svedbot world to life, with the transparent can giving consumers an immediate visual cue for exactly what they're getting - something simple and clean in every sip." According to new IWSR findings, the ready-to-drink category surpassed vodka in global value last year. Furthermore, spirits-based RTDs are growing at the expense of malt versions. Sazerac agreed to buy Svedka from Constellation Brands in December 2024. The acquisition was finalised a month later. Sazerac has also acquired Western Son Vodka and RTD brand Dirty Shirley in the past year, while entering strategic partnerships with Kendall Jenner's 818 Tequila and Alix Earle-backed SipMargs.

Shuttered Garrard County distillery headed to court-ordered auction. Opened over two years ago as Kentucky's largest new distillery, the idle 210-acre site faces liquidation to satisfy millions in debt. Find out why Sazerac may be the big winner. A Garrard County circuit judge has ordered the former Garrard County Distilling Co. property to be sold at auction within the next 90 days. The massive distillery has sat idle for over a year before being sent to the auction block following a multimillion-dollar civil court judgment, marking a turbulent end to the facility that once promised to be a major player on Kentucky's Bourbon Trail. The brief, troubled history of Garrard County Distilling Co. The facility, located on 210 acres at 440 Southern Soul Way in Lancaster, was opened in January 2024 by Atlanta-based premium spirits company Staghorn. Founded in 2018 by industry veteran Ray Franklin, Staghorn pitched the $250 million project as the largest all-new independent distillery in the state, promising to bring more than 60 jobs to Garrard County. At launch, the 50,000-square-foot operation featured 18 fermenters and three aging rickhouses, utilizing limestone-rich water from the local aquifer to produce spirits under Staghorn's flagship "All Nations" bourbon and whiskey label. However, the ambitious operation faced immediate financial distress. In addition to a core $26 million construction and operational loan from Truist Bank, Staghorn accumulated millions of dollars in outstanding contractor and vendor liens. Franklin exited Staghorn at the close of 2024 to join Arizona-based online barrel platform Spirits Capital - an entity that has also since reportedly ceased operations. Left without leadership and facing mounting defaults, Staghorn shuttered the distillery in March 2025 after just 14 months in business. Truist Bank subsequently filed a lawsuit and successfully requested a court-appointed receiver to preserve the property's assets. Behind Sazerac's buyout of Garrard County Distilling's debt. The upcoming auction comes after a company named Tom Collins Distillery LLC secured a massive $27.9 million judgment against the facility's parent company to cover the unpaid loans, accrued interest, and legal fees. Tom Collins is a corporate affiliate of global spirits giant Sazerac, the parent company of Buffalo Trace. In March, Sazerac stepped into the foreclosure process by purchasing Garrard County's mortgage and outstanding debt directly from Truist Bank. By buying out the bank, Sazerac positioned itself as the primary creditor. Court documents indicate that Tom Collins Distillery intends to actively bid on the property during the public auction. Because Sazerac now holds the underlying debt, the auction creates a win-win scenario for the spirits giant: If Tom Collins is the winning bidder, Sazerac effectively absorbs the state-of-the-art distillery, equipment, and aging inventory into its portfolio by canceling out the debt. If an outside buyer outbids them, the law requires that Sazerac be paid off first from the auction proceeds until the entire $27.9 million judgment is satisfied. The upcoming master commissioner's auction will liquidate the entire footprint, including the real estate, production equipment, stills, and the remaining whiskey barrels currently aging in the Lancaster rickhouses. A specific date for the sale has not yet been finalized by the court. Photographs courtesy of Staghorn.com.

Sazerac Co releases 'Extra Grande' bottle for Tromba tequila. Last updated: 20/05/2026 at 7:48 PM 20 May 2026 'This new format... delivers strong value and a reduced packaging footprint.' Sazerac Co has unveiled what it claims is the largest spirits-packaging format available in the US, for the Tromba tequila brand. The 3.75-litre container is shaped like a 'botellón' - a traditional Mexican jug designed for sharing. Tromba's blanco iteration is available from this month "in select markets, with national expansion underway", and will be followed by an 'Extra Grande' version of Tromba's reposado in "late summer 2026". The bottle will be available in both the on- and off-premise channels, and is positioned as being suitable for "high-volume cocktail batching for events", frozen margarita and drink machines, at-home infusions and backbar displays. Sazerac estimates that the pack uses 65% less glass per litre and "generates meaningfully lower CO[2] emissions across packaging and transport" compared to its 75cl counterpart. "The Extra Grande 375cl is a natural evolution for Tequila Tromba," said the brand's CEO, Eric Bras. "We've always believed great tequila is meant to be shared. This new format gives bar operators and adult consumers more of the same craft blanco they know from Tromba, while delivering strong value and a reduced packaging footprint." In March, Sazerac added Dirty Shirley to its portfolio, spending an undisclosed sum on the US RTD brand.