Whiskey distiller and former barrel maker draws buyout interest

The Wall Street Journal reported that Sazerac, a privately held American alcoholic beverage company based in Louisville, Kentucky, has approached Brown-Forman with an offer to acquire the company for about $15 billion.

Brown-Forman, known for producing Jack Daniel’s and Woodford Reserve, is also reportedly in merger discussions with French spirits giant Pernod Ricard.

In addition to distilling, Brown-Forman previously manufactured its own barrels through its cooperage operations. In 2022, the Wood Industry Association recognized the company with a Wooden Globe Award in the Commitment to Excellence Through Technology category. Earlier, in 2014, it received the Innovator of the Year award from the Woodworking Machinery Industry Association, which later became part of the WIA.

“By investing in automation and being committed to excellence through technology they reduced labor by approximately 100 people and can produce over 2000 barrels per day,” the association stated in its award presentation. “They are also building better barrels that have a direct result in higher volumes of whiskey and bourbon.”

In 2025, the company exited the barrel-making business. It closed the Louisville-based Brown-Forman Cooperage, the last cooperage it owned, and transferred operations to Independent Stave Co., which now supplies barrels for Brown-Forman.

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