Pernod Ricard SA, the company behind Chivas Regal and Absolut vodka, has purchased Skrewball, an American whiskey maker.
Skrewball, which was launched in 2018, sold over half a million cases of its peanut butter-flavored whiskey last year, according to Bloomberg News. The company was founded by Steven Yeng, a refugee from Cambodia to the U.S., and his wife Brittany Yeng, a lawyer and chemist. The founders originally sold the drink as a cocktail in a restaurant in Ocean Beach, Calif. before developing a standalone spirit. The acquisition looks to expand Pernod’s exposure to the category and drive growth in the U.S., says Edward Mundy, an equity analyst at Jefferies, reported Bloomberg.