Bacardi Bets On Irish Whiskey With Full Acquisition of Teeling

(Photo: Teeling)

On Tuesday, spirits giant Bacardi announced it has acquired the entirety of Teeling Whiskey, a distiller widely credited with kickstarting the craft Irish whiskey renaissance of the 21st century. The move follows on the heels of Bacardi’s minority stake acquisition of the brand in 2017 and its majority stake expansion in 2022.

Bacardi has not disclosed the financials of the deal. However, in 2024, it was reported that the remaining unbought stakes in Teeling were available to buyers for approximately €29.8 million ($31.9 million). Bacardi’s latest acquisition has upped its stake from 79% to 100%, though co-founders Jack and Stephen Teeling will reportedly remain a part of the brand and help steer its future.

“Teeling is the perfect fit for Bacardi,” Mahesh Madhavan, CEO of Bacardi Limited, remarked in a news release. “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,” Madhavan added.

When the Teeling brothers opened the doors of their facility in 2015, it marked the first wholly new whiskey distillery to operate in Dublin in over 125 years. The brand differentiated itself with a breadth and depth of offerings, dabbling in a wide variety of cask finishes, pot still, single malt and peated expressions.

Like many of its contemporaries, Teeling has struggled against seemingly insurmountable headwinds over the past few months. In January, Teeling revealed a 90% drop in profit in 2025 compared to the previous year. Time will tell if Bacardi has the wherewithal to turn the brand around in the face of trade tensions, inflation and declining drinking rates among younger consumers.

“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,” co-founder Jack Teeling added. “Now, as Teeling and the fabulous team in Dublin fully join the Bacardi family, we are excited to see everything they will achieve in the years ahead.”