BuzzBallz Owner Snaps Up Au Vodka in Reported $675 Million Deal

(Photo: Au Vodka)

The fastest-growing vodka brand in the UK has found a new owner from across the pond.

On Monday, American spirits giant Sazerac announced that it has signed a binding letter of agreement to acquire Au Vodka, the British best-seller known for its solid gold-colored bottles and social media shenanigans.

Sazerac has stated that the terms of the deal will remain confidential. However, a Sky News report citing “drinks industry executives” claims that the transaction clocked in at around £500 million ( ~ USD $677 million). If true, that would be one of the largest sums that the Louisiana-based company has ever spent on a single brand.

Au Vodka may not be a household name in the United States — but its presence in the United Kingdom is prolific. Founded in 2015 by Charlie Morgan and Jackson Quinn in Swansea, Wales, the brand later found a celebrity benefactor in DJ Charlie Sloth, who signed on as an investor and director in mid 2017.

Au Vodka offers 11 core flavored offerings spanning Pink Lemonade, Black Grape and Strawberry Milkshake, as well as a range of canned cocktails. It’s frequently cited as one of the fastest-growing companies in the UK and is now available in upwards of 40 international markets.

The brand has forged much of its identity around viral social media posts, staying in the headlines month after month thanks to a string of larger-than-life publicity stunts. In early 2023, influencer and boxer Jake Paul was paid $250,000 out of a golden suitcase to get a tattoo of the brand’s new Blue Raspberry flavor (it’s unclear if money actually changed hands, but that’s what happened in the video). A little over a year later, Au Vodka received a Guinness World Records certificate for creating the world’s largest vodka bottle.

The acquisition makes perfect sense within the Sazerac portfolio. The Fireball and Buffalo Trace owner has gone on a spree over the past few years, snapping up multiple big-name brands as its rivals are mulling over layoffs and cutbacks.

The company famously purchased ready-to-drink maker BuzzBallz in 2024 for an estimated $500 million. The brand is now the best-selling pre-mixed cocktail in the United States by an over $250 million margin. Sazerac has also purchased Dirty Shirley, a vodka-spiked Shirley Temple brand; acquired an equity stake in SipMARGS, an RTD backed by influencer Alix Earle; and signed a strategic partnership with Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila.