On June 17, 2022, Milestone Brands, LLC, a premium spirits company based out of Austin, Texas, acquired the Victoria-based spirits company, Victoria Distillers Inc., known for their iconic Empress 1908 Gin.

Victoria Distillers was represented in Canada by a Farris transaction team that included Al Hudec, Daniel Everall and Megan O’Neill. Mark Chu advised on tax matters and Alexander Mitchell  helped on employment law issues.

Empress 1908 Gin is inspired by the legendary Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia. Traditional botanicals, mixed with a signature blend of black tea served at the Empress Hotel and butterfly pea blossom, an exotic herb, gives the gin its natural indigo colour.

Under the leadership of VDI founder and President Peter Hunt, Empress 1908 Gin has achieved significant success and today leads the growth in super premium gin in North America. Since its launch in 2017, Empress 1908 Gin has grown to more than 200,000 cases globally while achieving +100% growth in calendar year 2021. Empress 1908 Gin is the #1 super premium gin in Canada and the #2 super premium gin in the United States.

This acquisition marks a successful exit for the shareholders of Victoria Distillers, as Milestone will continue to operate the brand as a premium spirits product. Concurrent with the acquisition, Milestone Brands entered into a strategic partnership with BDT Capital Partners, LLC to fund the acquisitions and the company’s next stage of growth.