MANILA, Philippines — Emperador Inc., the global brandy and whisky conglomerate led by tycoon Andrew Tan, is embarking on a global expansion over the next five years that will pave the way for a significant growth in the near future.
The liquor giant said it is further ramping up its global expansion by growing its vineyard portfolio in Spain with an additional 470 hectares of farmland while expanding its presence in Mexico and doubling its distillery footprint in Scotland.
“Our ongoing expansions in the United Kingdom, Spain and Mexico are testaments to our unwavering resolve to pursue our global aspirations,” Emperador president and CEO Winston Co said.
Emperador’s vineyard farmland expansion in Spain is expected to significantly boost its grape farming capacity, which currently stands at about 17 million kilos annually.
Led by market leader Terry Centenario Brandy, Emperador said it recorded a seven-percent growth in volume and a 10.8-percent jump in value for the first quarter based on consumer consumption data.
The company said the numbers are encouraging, considering the current status of the spirits market in Spain, which went down by about 6.3 percent.
Meanwhile, Emperador’s recent acquisition, through subsidiary Casa Pedro Domecq, has deepened the company’s foothold in Mexico’s liquor space.
Emperador sees its newly acquired mezcal brands Los Danzantes and Alipus to be available in the Philippines this year.
Owned by the recently acquired Mexican firm Destileria Los Danzantes, both brands were among the top 10 best-selling and top 10 trending mezcal brands by industry surveys in recent years.
In the UK, Emperador said the expansion of The Dalmore distillery in Alness, Scotland continues and is seen to double the brand’s production capacity, while also providing a new visitor experience.
Emperador is expanding its whisky maturation complex in its Invergordon distillery, doubling its footprint from 45.4 to 92 hectares.
According to the company, the extension will allow the grain distillery to house an additional 1.5 million casks of maturing whisky.
Emperador said the grand expansion of its wholly owned subsidiary Whyte & Mackay in the UK also contributes significantly to the company’s goal to meet greater global demand for single malt whiskies.
Emperador ended the first quarter on a high note, posting a 6.5-percent increase in net income to P1.85 billion.
The company expects “2025 will be better than 2024” for its brandy business, with higher margins expected this year.
Emperador is pivoting its brandy business to target low-priced segments and will continue to pursue a premiumization strategy.
For its whisky business, however, Emperador expects the environment to remain challenging, especially with the new trade policies from the US.