Lucas Bols USA, the Lucas Bols Company’s wholly owned distribution platform for North America, has finalized a national exclusive distribution agreement with The Muff Liquor Company of Ireland. Under the agreement, Lucas Bols has obtained the national distribution rights for The Muff Liquor Company and their award-winning Irish spirits: Muff Vodka, Gin and Whiskey.
The Muff Liquor Company was founded in 2017 with the launch of their first product in February 2018 by Laura Bonner and her business partner, Tom Russell. The company continues the tradition of Bonner’s Granda, Philip McClenaghan, who crafted spirits from the potatoes he farmed in Inishowen, County Donegal, Ireland, with premium, potato-based vodka and gin and a five-part blend whiskey. All three products have received industry accolades and the brand attracted the attention of celebrity investors Russell Crowe, Ed Sheeran, Jimmy Carr and Ronan Keating. Laura and her team are continuing her family’s distilling legacy in the neighboring, eponymous village of Muff, where they will be opening a Brand Home later this year.
The Irish spirits perfectly complement the Lucas Bols Company portfolio, which consists of more than twenty global brands across a range of spirits, including liqueurs, tequila, genevers, gin, ready to drink, and non-alcoholic spirits in the US market. With an official launch date of October 2024, Lucas Bols USA will work with the executive team of The Muff Liquor Company to establish and distribute the brand in the US with a comprehensive sales and marketing strategy, also leveraging the involvement of its celebrity investors.
Brett Dunne, Managing Director Lucas Bols USA: “We are thrilled to partner with The Muff Liquor Company. Their portfolio of award-winning, Irish spirits is a perfect fit with our cocktail strategy and, though a young brand, their rich history pairs perfectly with the Lucas Bols Company’s 450 year legacy. We are eager to further expand their success with our proven on and off-premise capabilities. With an exciting roster of celebrity investors and industry accolades, Muff should bring a strong retail presence and clout that our team looks forward to furthering in key US markets.”
Laura Bonner, CEO and co-founder of The Muff Liquor Company: “I am thrilled to see The Muff Liquor Company expanding to the US market with the talent and experience of the Lucas Bols Company. We share an entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to heritage that has been woven into The Muff Liquor company story since Granda introduced me to poitín many moons ago. We are so incredibly proud of what The Muff Liquor Company has achieved in just six years, and we cannot wait to see what lies ahead in our newfound partnership with the Lucas Bols Company.”
Terry Bunch
