Jameson maker Pernod buys Skrewball peanut butter-flavoured whiskey

Skrewball was founded by Steven Yeng, a refugee from Cambodia to the US, and his wife Brittany Yeng

Pernod Ricard launched an orange-flavoured version of its popular Jameson Irish Whiskey last year.

The company behind Jameson Whiskey and Absolut vodka has a new offering in its stable: Peanut butter-flavoured whiskey.

Pernod Ricard has said it’s buying a majority stake in American whiskey maker Skrewball as the French drinks giant looks to shore up its market position amid shifting tastes from US consumers. 

Pernod produces Chivas Regal, and Absolut vodka and has been bolstering its portfolio with the acquisition of tequila and premium rum brands as well as launching an orange-flavoured version of its popular Jameson Irish Whiskey last year.

Shares in Pernod rose slightly in the session.

After increasing consumption during the pandemic, drinkers are preferring more novel tastes, particularly in the US, where tequila is expected to overtake vodka as the most popular choice.

Skrewball, which was launched in 2018, sold more than half a million cases of its peanut butter-flavoured whiskey last year, according to the company. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

On its website, Skrewball said that while peanut butter and whiskey may seem to be disparate ingredients together they create a “delicious” blend that is a “a little salty, a little sweet, a little savoury and always smooth”.

The company was founded by Steven Yeng, a refugee from Cambodia to the US, and his wife Brittany Yeng, a lawyer and chemist. The duo starting selling the drink as a cocktail in a restaurant in Ocean Beach, California, before they developed a standalone spirit.

The acquisition of a “super premium” American whiskey broadens Pernod’s exposure to category and provides a further growth engine for the US, said Edward Mundy, an equity analyst at Jefferies. 

Bloomberg