Bacardi Acquires ILEGAL Mezcal – a Leading Artisanal Mezcal Brand in the U.S.
11.9.2023 15:30:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held international spirits company in the world, announced today the completion of a transaction that makes the family-owned company the sole owner of ILEGAL Mezcal®, a leading super premium artisanal mezcal.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230911109816/en/
Bacardi Acquires ILEGAL Mezcal, a Leading Artisanal Mezcal Brand in the U.S. (Photo: Business Wire)
The transaction follows a successful relationship in which Bacardi partnered with ILEGAL since 2015.
The super premium plus mezcal category is growing at a fast pace and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16% over the next five years according to IWSR. Between now and 2027, the agave category – which includes both mezcal and tequila – is expected to be the sixth largest category globally, and it recently overtook American Whiskey to become the second largest category (by value) in the U.S. At 86% of global market share, the United States dominates the super premium mezcal category. (Source: 2022 IWSR).
“We believe that ILEGAL has the credentials to own and lead the super premium mezcal category at a global level. ILEGAL perfectly complements our portfolio and bringing it into our business sets the brand up for even greater growth as mezcal captivates more and more consumers,” says Barry Kabalkin, Vice Chairman of Bacardi Limited.
“Bacardi and ILEGAL have a shared commitment to communities, quality, and environmental sustainability that we will build upon together as we look to invest for the long term. As a family-owned business for seven generations, we are always building for the future to maintain the legacy that is Bacardi,” says Mahesh Madhavan, Bacardi Limited Chief Executive Officer.
ILEGAL, recognized globally for its lifestyle branding, also prides itself on being a responsible and sustainable business. They work with fourth-generation maestros mezcaleros in Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico. ILEGAL Mezcal is double distilled in small batches using 100% Espadin agave. ILEGAL Mezcal is 100% natural and uses no artificial colors, yeasts, flavors, or additives. It is certified as artisanal mezcal by the Consejo Regulador del Mezcal (CRM).
John Rexer created ILEGAL in 2006, after years of working with small distillers in Oaxaca to make mezcal for his bar in Guatemala. John’s goal has been to bring the finest artisanal mezcal to a global market. He has worked closely with the distillers in Oaxaca to create sustainable jobs, and to be a positive force in protecting the environment and preserving local culture. John will continue to guide the vision of the brand.
“We are excited about the next stage of the journey,” says John Rexer. “Success for ILEGAL goes beyond seeing more of our bottles on shelves; it’s about building our business the right way. We will always be committed to artisanal production, the Oaxacan community, and our core values. Being a part of Bacardi will bring ILEGAL to a larger audience while maintaining our commitment to sustainability and growing the business responsibly.”
ILEGAL Mezcal is available in Joven, a full-bodied agave flavor with a light smoke; Reposado, aged six months in medium-charred American oak; and Añejo, aged to taste for 13 months using a combination of new and used American oak, medium char barrels.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
About Bacardi Limited
Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held international spirits company in the world, produces and markets internationally recognized spirits and wines. The Bacardi Limited brand portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including BACARDÍ® rum, GREY GOOSE® vodka, PATRÓN® tequila, DEWAR’S® Blended Scotch whisky, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, MARTINI® vermouth and sparkling wines, CAZADORES® 100% blue agave tequila, and other leading and emerging brands including WILLIAM LAWSON’S® Scotch whisky, ST-GERMAIN® elderflower liqueur, and ERISTOFF® vodka. Founded more than 161 years ago in Santiago de Cuba, family-owned Bacardi Limited currently employs approximately 9,000, operates production facilities in 10 countries, and sells its brands in more than 160 markets. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. Visit www.bacardilimited.com or follow us on LinkedIn or Instagram.
About ILEGAL Mezcal
ILEGAL Mezcal was founded in 2006 and is today one of the leading artisanal mezcals in the world. ILEGAL Mezcal is sold in over 40 countries and has won numerous awards for both quality and branding. The brand has won countless awards including a Gold Honor Shorty Award for Brand Identity and was named Agave Spirit of 2022 by Bloomberg. The company prides itself on bringing to market fine aged mezcals as well as its joven expressions. ILEGAL is produced and bottled in Oaxaca, Mexico. The production is 100% artisanal, using ripe espadin agave, pit ovens, tahona mills, and small copper stills. Visit www.ilegalmezcal.com or Instagram.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230911109816/en/
Contact information
Jessica Merz, VP Global Corporate Communications, jmerz@bacardi.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Forbes Includes Philip Morris International in Its Net Zero Leaders List4.5.2026 11:00:00 EEST | Press release
Philip Morris International (PMI) (NYSE: PM) has been included once more in Forbes’ 2026 Net Zero Leaders1 list, recognizing its leadership and continued progress in advancing climate action across its global operations. The Forbes Net Zero Leaders list highlights U.S. publicly listed companies best positioned to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, based on measurable performance rather than commitments alone. Despite most companies aligning to a 2050 net zero horizon, PMI remains committed to reaching net zero by 2040, as set out in its Climate Transition Plan published in 2025. This aspiration reflects PMI’s confidence in collective progress, trust that ambition drives innovation, that policy will evolve to enable change, and collaboration will accelerate system‑wide transformation. Above all, it signals hope: that by acting early and holding firm, PMI can help build the critical momentum needed to shift markets, technologies, and mindsets, and inspire similar action across its value
Mobius Renewables Acquires Air Liquide’s Biogas Production Activities in the United States, France, Norway, and Sweden4.5.2026 09:45:00 EEST | Press release
Mobius Renewables today announced the closing of the acquisition of Air Liquide’s biogas production activities in the United States, France, Norway, and Sweden. The acquisition includes six operating landfill gas-to-RNG (Renewable Natural Gas) sites in the U.S., five operating farm waste sites in France, and a 51% interest in Redo Biosolutions with production and distribution assets across Norway and Sweden. The acquired portfolio will be a meaningful addition to Mobius Renewables (“the Company”), a global, vertically integrated low carbon fuels platform established in December 2025 by funds managed by IFM Investors to accelerate the development, production, distribution, and commercialization of RNG at scale across North America and Europe. The Company is headquartered in Houston, Texas with additional offices in the United States, France, Norway, and Sweden. With this transaction, the establishment of Mobius Renewables is complete, and GreenGasUSA and the acquired portfolio will oper
Incyte Announces FDA Approval of Jakafi XR™ (ruxolitinib) Extended-Release Tablets for the Treatment of Myelofibrosis, Polycythemia Vera and Graft-Versus-Host Disease2.5.2026 00:28:00 EEST | Press release
Incyte (Nasdaq:INCY) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Jakafi XR™ (ruxolitinib) extended-release tablets for the treatment of adults with intermediate- or high-risk myelofibrosis (MF); adults with polycythemia vera (PV) who have had an inadequate response to or are intolerant of hydroxyurea; as well as adults and children aged 12 years and older with steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) or chronic GVHD after failure of one or two lines of systemic therapy. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260501334677/en/ “The approval of Jakafi XR reinforces Incyte’s leadership in hematology and our focus on meeting the evolving needs of patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) and GVHD,” said Bill Meury, Chief Executive Officer, Incyte. “Jakafi XR offers appropriate patients and physicians a once-daily option, expanding choice without changing the well-
Barilla Hosts Surprise Formula 1® Family Reunion Dinner During Miami Race Weekend1.5.2026 19:08:00 EEST | Press release
A special invitation, a table, and a plate of pasta shared by people who are often apart. That’s all it took for Barilla to bring the spirit of togetherness to Miami during the opening day of the FORMULA 1® CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX 2026. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260430832316/en/ Barilla hosts Arvid Lindblad, Mikaela Shiffrin, and Nico Rosberg with Chef Massimo Bottura at Torno Subito, where the Formula 1® community came together for a surprise dinner. Barilla, the Official Pasta Partner of Formula 1®, welcomed team members and their families to Torno Subito Miami, the restaurant by three-Michelin-starred Chef Massimo Bottura, with the kitchen led by Chef Bernardo Paladini, for an evening where engines were switched off and everyday life took center stage. The night also celebrated the start of the new partnership between Barilla and the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls (VCARB) Formula 1® Team, a meeting of
TIME Names Xenco Medical one of the TIME100 Most Influential Companies in the World and the Winner of the 2026 TIME100 Impact Award in Health1.5.2026 13:07:00 EEST | Press release
Time Magazine has named pioneering medical technology company Xenco Medical as one of the TIME100 Most Influential Companies in the World and the Winner of the 2026 TIME100 Impact Award in Health. Widely regarded as the most prestigious recognition in business and technology, being selected to the TIME100 List remains the most coveted accolade that a company can achieve globally. The TIME100 Impact Awards are given to only 5 recipients each year, making it the rarest of honors that a company can receive and a profound recognition of transformative, global impact. Xenco Medical was honored by Time as the sole recipient of the TIME100 Impact Award in Health in 2026, signifying its leading, global distinction in impact on healthcare. According to Time Magazine, the TIME100 Most Influential Companies list highlights “companies making an extraordinary impact around the world.” The honor bestowed by Time comes after Xenco Medical was named the 2025 Medical Device/ Diagnostics Company of the
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom