E. & J. Gallo Winery, which introduced E&J Brandy in 1975, has been building a portfolio of spirits that has been quietly gaining strength and delivering exceptional market performance for nearly 50 years. It’s now the fourth largest spirits supplier by volume in the United States. Thursday (3/10) it announced an overarching brand for its spirits line: Spirit of Gallo.
“Our founders, Ernest and Julio, didn’t stop with wine,” says Ernest Gallo, Chief Executive Officer at E. & J. Gallo Winery. “Their initial entry into spirits was brandy, a natural extension from wine. Our commitment to this category continues. Spirit of Gallo offers us the opportunity to highlight our portfolio of spirits, which includes tequila, rum, vodka, gin, vermouth, Scotch whisky and more.”
Spirit of Gallo represents 24 brands including New Amsterdam Vodka, Camarena Tequila, RumChata, Pink Whitney, RumHaven and the break-out hard seltzer, High Noon. In addition, the portfolio contains an impressive list of both owned and imported luxury spirits such as Diplomatico rum, The Dalmore whisky and Germain-Robin brandy, Amaro Montenegro, Don Fulano Tequila and Lo-Fi Aperitifs.
“We are a unique company in that we offer both wine and spirits, but the value we bring to our wholesalers, customers and consumers is that we are committed, long-term brand builders,” says Britt West, VP/General Manager of Spirit of Gallo. “As our spirits portfolio has grown, we recognized a need for the trade to have a way to identify the spirits portfolio and our growth in spirits separate from our leadership position in wine.”