What the Four Roses Sale Actually Means
This isn't a disaster. It's not a guarantee of greatness either. Gallo has the resources and distribution muscle to make Four Roses bigger. Whether they make it better depends on how much they meddle.
By now, you've probably heard that E.J. Gallo is buying Four Roses from Kirin for $775 million. Deal closes mid-year if the feds sign off. Figured I'd share some quick thoughts on what this might actually mean for the brand.
Here's The Thing
Four Roses is a solid performer—425,000 cases in the U.S., 1 million globally, and it's the 8th largest bourbon brand by volume worldwide. So why's Kirin selling? They're pivoting away from spirits entirely to focus on healthcare and pharmaceuticals. This isn't about Four Roses underperforming. It's about Kirin deciding bourbon doesn't fit their future. Gallo, on the other hand, has been actively building out its spirits division and has called American whiskey "white space" in its portfolio. Four Roses fills that gap.