Bacardi Limited has completed its acquisition of the Teeling Whiskey Company, taking full ownership of the TEELING Irish whiskey brand and strengthening its position in the growing global Irish whiskey category.
The family-owned spirits group announced that founders Jack and Stephen Teeling will remain involved with the business as strategic advisers, helping to guide the brand’s future development and long-term growth.
The transaction marks the latest step in a partnership that began in 2017 when Bacardi acquired a minority stake in the Dublin-based whiskey producer. The company increased its holding to a majority stake in 2022 before moving to full ownership.
Mahesh Madhavan, chief executive of Bacardi Limited, said the acquisition reflected the company’s confidence in both the Teeling brand and the wider Irish whiskey market.
“TEELING is the perfect fit for Bacardi,” he said. “The brand stands for quality, craftsmanship and a fearless approach to the category with fresh ideas and innovative new whiskeys.
“There is so much long-term potential for the Irish whiskey category globally and with TEELING we are perfectly positioned to take advantage of every opportunity.”
Since Bacardi first invested in the company, the TEELING brand has more than doubled in size and expanded its international footprint. The whiskey is now exported to more than 80 markets worldwide.
Jack Teeling said the founders were confident the brand would continue to flourish under Bacardi’s ownership.
“My brother and I both know that at Bacardi, TEELING is in the best possible hands,” he said. “Working closely with the Bacardi team over the last nine years has proven to us that as a family-owned company, Bacardi appreciates the value of everything the TEELING brand stands for and its commitment to raising the bar for Irish whiskey.”
Founded in 2012, the Teeling Whiskey Company has built a reputation for innovation in Irish whiskey, producing handcrafted small-batch expressions and helping revive distilling in Dublin. Its Teeling Whiskey Distillery, which opened in 2015 as the first new distillery in Dublin for more than 125 years, has welcomed over one million visitors.