Asahi Beverages Announces Acquisition of Australian Gin Brand Never Never for a Mysterious Sum

The founders of Never Never Distilling Co. enjoy a gin cocktail at a bar. Asahi Beverages bought Never Never Distilling Co. for an undisclosed sum. (Photo: Never Never Distilling Co. Facebook)

Asahi Beverages announced on Wednesday that it has acquired the Australian gin brand, Never Never Distilling Co., for an undisclosed sum. The brand will be sold through its distribution arm, Carlton & United Breweries.

“We are acquiring Never Never because we recognize Never Never’s incredible brand and success,” Asahi Beverages Group CEO Amanda Sellers said in a statement. “Combining Asahi’s reach with Never Never’s amazing portfolio, extensive spirits knowledge and capability will enhance the value proposition for our customers.”

Never Never Distilling Co. is a brand with humble beginnings. According to Asahi, the brand debuted in 2016 when three friends, George Georgiadis, Tim Boast and Sean Baxter started distilling gin out of a shed in Adelaide, Australia.

The brand has garnered attention and multiple awards through its distinctive expressions, some of which include a gin that uses discarded oyster shells in the distillation process, which was released in November. The gin brand introduced a cacao butter-washed gin in December as part of a partnership with the mixologist Lorenzo Antinori.

“With their consumer brand-expertise and deep customer relationships, Asahi will help grow Never Never in a way which we’ve always aspired to,” Never Never Managing Director and co-founder George Georgiadis said. “Our values have been crucial in building our brand, and align incredibly strongly with the values and culture of Asahi Beverages.”

Regarding leadership at Never Never Distilling Co., the brand’s co-founders will remain at the company’s helm. According to Asahi, daily operations will remain the same, and after the acquisition, Never Never Distilling Co. will have a broader foothold in the market.

“Our two companies are a terrific fit,” CUB CEO Danny Celoni said. “Never Never’s rapid growth has been driven by premium products, commitment to quality and strong hospitality offering – attributes we share. Adding a high-quality, Australian-made gin to our range plugs an important gap in our offering and complements our leading multi-beverage portfolio. We can’t wait to start offering this product to our customers and through our distribution network to help this internationally-recognized Aussie gin achieve the scale it deserves.”

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