US drinks company Sazerac has reportedly bought Swansea-based Au Vodka, the alcohol brand created by Charlie Morgan, who made headlines as a teenager after an incident involving Chelsea footballer Eden Hazard.
The financial terms have not been officially disclosed. However, Reuters reported that the deal is worth roughly £300 million.
From a 2013 football incident to Au Vodka
Morgan was 17 when Hazard kicked him while he held onto the ball during Chelsea’s 2013 match against Swansea City. He is now 31 and is renowned for creating Au Vodka.
Morgan and his partner Jackson Quinn co-founded the brand in 2015. Known for its distinctive gold bottle design, Au Vodka has featured celebrity endorsements from Floyd Mayweather and Ronaldinho.
The company grew rapidly following investment from DJ Charlie Sloth and employs more than 80 people in South Wales.
Sazerac outlines plans for the brand
Sazerac chief executive Jake Wenz said Au Vodka had experienced a “phenomenal growth trajectory” since being founded in Swansea.
“Au Vodka is a brand we’ve long admired,” Wenz said. He added that Morgan and Quinn had achieved something “spectacular and rare” with the brand in just over a decade, and said Sazerac had major plans for Au Vodka.
Wenz said the takeover would strengthen Sazerac’s position in the UK while creating a path for continued global growth for Au Vodka.
Morgan said he and Quinn started the business with “nothing but an idea and a belief that vodka didn’t have to be boring”. He said they had built it into “one of the most disruptive brands of this generation”.
He added that Sazerac would enable Au Vodka to be offered to more people in more markets faster than he and Quinn could have achieved alone.
The acquisition adds Au Vodka to Sazerac’s portfolio of more than 500 brands, including BuzzBallz and Southern Comfort.
Source: Metro News
