Distil has named Fortitude Drinks as its next UK distributor, with the new arrangement due to start next month.
The transition concludes the spirits maker’s current UK distribution partnership with Global Brands, which was announced last year
In a stock exchange filing today (13 July), Distil said the arrangement with Global Brands will conclude “amicably”, with both companies agreeing to “remain open” for future collaborations. The new distributor, Fortitude Drinks operates under the Kliro Capital-owned Fortitude Spirits Group, an umbrella that also includes Fortitude Spirits and ICB Drinks. ICB Drinks, which has manufacturing, bottling and canning facilities in Middlesbrough, already bottles some of Distil’s brands.
Distil said the “new relationship” with Fortitude is expected to lead to production, packaging, logistics and warehousing cost savings. The company also expects to benefit from ICB Drinks’ recently launched £10m ($13.4m) canning line to expedite new product development, including RTDs. The RedLeg Spiced Rum maker also pointed to Fortitude’s “particular strength” in the UK off-trade—an important channel for Distil—supported by own-label production contracts and a portfolio of “premium brands”.