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Miami Herald
14-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Popular whiskey and wine company files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Declining consumer demand for alcoholic beverages has impacted the wine and spirits industries, causing some businesses to reorganize, shut down operations and sometimes file for bankruptcy. Wine industry metrics have flattened out in the last year after three decades of sustained growth, mainly driven by Baby Boomer consumers, according to Silicon Valley Bank's State of the U.S. Wine Industry Report 2025. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter A reduction in wine consumption and a supply imbalance was influenced by a fundamental shift in consumer demographics along with resurgence of anti-alcohol campaigns, the report said. The reduction in demand was spurred by a decline in the "wine-friendly" Boomer population and a change in sentiment toward alcohol. Related: Popular vodka and gin brand files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy The alcoholic beverage market, the report said, is rotating out of over-60 aged consumers who index higher for wine purchases compared to other alcoholic beverage categories and stepping aside for consumers who index lower for wine. The spirits industry has also dealt with economic issues in the last year. Spirits supplier sales in the U.S. declined 1.1% in 2024 to $37.2 billion, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States reported in its Annual Economic Briefing in February 2025. Economic issues forced major global distillery affiliate Stoli USA to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Nov. 27, 2024, after financial distress led to a default on $78 million in secured debt owed to Fifth Third Bank NA. Craft spirits producer Boston Harbor Distillery, which makes whiskey, rum, gin, liqueurs, and distilled beer, on March 31, 2025, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, seeking to reorganize its business. Also, the maker of Westward Whiskey, House Spirits Distillery LLC, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 6, suffering from financial distress after over-expanding just before the liquor market contracted. Following House Spirits Distillery to bankruptcy court was Devils River Distillery LLC, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on May 1 to reorganize its business and continue operating. The San Antonio-based distiller of Devil's River Whiskey, which opened for business in 2017, makes five different bourbon whiskeys and a rye whiskey. The company distributes its liquor to 36 states, five countries, and cruise lines, offering premium and craft bourbons. Image source:Finally, fledgling spirits and wine provider Oracles Capital Inc., which operates as Oracles Craft Brands, filed for Chapter 11 facing financial distress. Related: Popular whiskey brand files Chapter 11 bankruptcy The Stuart, Fla.-based company, specializing in importing, distributing, and selling craft alcoholic beverage products, filed its Subchapter V petition on May 12 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. More bankruptcy: Iconic auto repair chain franchise files Chapter 11 bankruptcyPopular beer brand closes down and files Chapter 7 bankruptcyPopular vodka and gin brand files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy The debtor filed its petition seeking to sell its assets, as it faced macroeconomic conditions and wine import tariffs that prevented it from raising new capital, Law360 reported. Oracles listed about $4 million in assets and over $342,000 in liabilities in its petition. Oracles Craft Brands, which was established in 2020, specializes in importing, selling, and distributing a variety of Italian, Greek and Portuguese wine brands, including Primaterra, La Maialina, and Quattro Mani from Italy, Kaldera from Greece, and Verday canned white wine from Portugal. It also sells and distributes ASM brand American single malt whiskey, which is made from 100% malted barley, pot distilled, aged for a minimum three years, and finished in sherry casks. Related: Popular liquor brand files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Miami Herald
08-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Popular vodka and gin brand files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Business Popular vodka and gin brand files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy The spirits distilling industry has faced economic challenges that have led to business closings and, in some cases, bankruptcy filings this year. Spirits supplier sales in the U.S. declined 1.1% in 2024 to $37.2 billion, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States reported in its Annual Economic Briefing in February 2025. Slower sales led to financial issues and sometimes bankruptcy for companies. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Financial problems forced a major global distillery affiliate to file for bankruptcy late last year, as Stoli USA, a subsidiary of vodka giant Stoli Group, filed for Chapter 11 protection on Nov. 27, 2024, after financial distress led to a default on $78 million in secured debt owed to Fifth Third Bank NA. Related: Popular whiskey brand files Chapter 11 bankruptcy Following Stoli's bankruptcy, slower sales carried over into 2025 and resulted in several smaller U.S. spirits distillers marching into bankruptcy court to file for Chapter 11. Craft spirits producer Boston Harbor Distillery, which makes whiskey, rum, gin, liqueurs, and distilled beer, on March 31, 2025, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, seeking to reorganize its business. Samuel Adams brewer Boston Beer Company's co-founder Rhonda Kallman, a leader in the craft beverage industry, established the Dorchester, Mass.-based distiller in 2012. More whiskey distillers file for bankruptcy The maker of Westward Whiskey, House Spirits Distillery LLC, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, suffering from financial distress after over-expanding just before the liquor market contracted. House Spirits filed its Subchapter V petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on April 6, 2025, listing $1 million to $10 million in assets and debts. Devils River Distillery LLC and an affiliate filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on May 1 to reorganize their business and continue operating. The San Antonio-based distiller of Devil's River Whiskey, which opened for business in 2017, makes five different bourbon whiskeys and a rye whiskey. The company distributes its liquor to 36 states, five countries, and cruise lines, offering premium and craft bourbons. Image source:JJ Pfister Distilling files bankruptcy after closing down Finally, Sacramento-based spirits manufacturer JJ Pfister Distilling Co. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to reorganize about $1.6 million in debts six months after closing its business operations. Related: Popular liquor brand files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy The organic craft spirits distiller filed its petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of California, listing up to $50,000 in assets and $1 million to $10 million in debts. More bankruptcies: The debtor's largest creditors include Fite Bypass Trust, owed over $453,000; Bank of America, owed over $86,000; Overton Funding, owed over $76,000; and various tax authorities. The liquor distiller opened its business in April 2018 and manufactured several spirits, including vodka, gin, rum, rye whiskey, rye bourbon, drakas, apple brandy, and pear brandy. JJ Pfister's liquor was distributed in Arizona, California, and Nevada and sold at retailers, such as Total Wine, BevMo, Nugget Markets, Raley's stores, Young's Market, and Vin Sauvage stores. The company closed its distillery and tasting room in November 2024 and plans to market its assets for sale, the Sacramento Business Journal reported. Representatives of JJ Pfister could not be reached for comment as the distiller's phone number and website were not operational on May 7. Related: Another popular whiskey brand files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc. This story was originally published May 7, 2025 at 7:48 PM.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Visit Jalisco, Mexico, where the story of tequila begins
Tequila is the fastest growing spirits category in the United States, and a truly artisanal agricultural spirit with a unique Mexican terroir and a culture all its own. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States' (DISCUS) 2025 Annual Economic Briefing, sales of the popular agave-based spirit grew by 2 percent from 2023 to 2024, leaving the rest of the bottles in the dust. Yet few of us know how tequila is produced and the rich heritage behind it. A visit to Jalisco, where tequila is made (and mariachi-style music was born), provides an excellent peek into the centuries of tradition behind the process. Although tequila's official denomination of origin commenced in 1974, its history stretches back for centuries. Jalisco records hundreds of years of production, back to the 16th and 17th centuries, although pulque, the fermented juice of the maguey (agave) plant, was consumed by Aztecs and Nahuas as early as 250 A.D. Start learning in Guadalajara, the capital of the Western state of Jalisco, with a dip into cantina culture. 'Tequila is the number one ambassador of Mexico,' says Daniela Villasuso of Mijenta Tequila, a popular brand from the highlands of Jalisco. 'It embodies everything that has to do with how we live.' Here, you won't be drinking margaritas. Ease into things with a cantarito—a juicy mix of citrus and tequila, topped with soda and served in a natural clay jar rimmed with chili salt. 'And of course,' says Villasuso, 'sit next to a Mexican at a bar. Talk to us. We will give you some shots, and it will be done with love.' Soon after exiting the traffic of Guadalajara proper, you'll start to see mesmerizing rows of blue agave plants stretching in every direction. Fernando Pérez Ontiveros knows the valley, or lowlands, as the birthplace of tequila. A fourth-generation grower and distiller in Amatitán, Jalisco, Pérez Ontiveros recently launched a new brand, Laelia Tequila, an artisan tequila brimming with traditional lowland aromas and flavors like cooked agave, sweet potato, minerals, citrus, and lemongrass, with Grupo Solave and Casa Natima Distillery. This distinct profile starts in the agave fields. The minerality of the valley terroir comes not just from the volcanic soil, but also the volcanic water source from their own deep well. 'We only use agave and water,' says Pérez Ontiveros, 'at the end of the day, to make tequila, so they both better be very good.' (Bats and agaves make tequila possible—and they're both at risk) Eduardo Pérez Ontiveros, brother of Pérez Ontiveros, runs the farming side of Grupo Solave, and nurtures the baby plants once weaned. 'We select the hijuelos, the young shoots, by size from the mother plant,' he says, 'in the spring between the second and third year of the plant's life, plant them, then wait six years to have the best quality agaves.' These not-so-low lowlands, 3,500 feet above sea level, live at the foot of the dormant Volcán de Tequila. Here in La Valle, the soil contains lots of ash packed with minerals like iodine, calcium, magnesium, and sodium, the warm climate makes the agaves grow and sweeten quicker, and the tequila tends to show earthy peppery notes with a lot of pyrazine—the aroma compound that brings grassy, herbal, green aromas—in the glass. Keep driving west towards Tequila, where the highland elevations climb to over 6,000 feet, and the red, iron-rich soil with its higher acidity work with cooler temperatures to stress the agave, slowly creating the sweeter, more tropical, viscous vanilla notes typical of the Los Altos terroir. Sergio Mendoza, Co-Founder of Don Fulano Tequila, agrees that the most critical element in the terroir and artisanship in traditional tequila productions comes from the soil. 'As fifth-generation agave farmers, we care for the ground, using regenerative farming practices. Through crop rotation and minimal agrochemical use, we nurture our land and handpick only selected mature agave plants for harvest. Maturity is paramount to quality.' Like the folks at Laelia, they grow their own agave, and walk the fields, testing brix (sucrose) level and 'selecting plant by plant for optimum maturity.' The timing for cutting each agave piña directly impacts the end result. Steffin Oghene, a vice president at El Tequileño, a heritage brand from the highlands, explains that 'if you taste a green banana [versus] a banana with black spots, one is very green and fresh in flavor and lacks complexity. The other is rich, sweet, and has layers of flavor. The banana with black spots represents mature agave. You need mature agave not only for its natural sugar content, but more for the complex flavor profile that it will provide to artisanal tequila.' The last task in the field is the work of the jimador, who harvests and trims the agaves using the same hand-sharpened tool created for the job three centuries ago, according to the specifications of the maestro, or master distiller. Carlos Huízar, the maestro behind Laelia, says the jimador's job is critical to the flavors and aromas in the final product. 'In our case, at Laelia, the jima height is the key. We need to remove the most possible green parts of the penca, the agave leaf, in order to get that sweet potato aroma. For that reason, our jima height is smaller than normal." After roasting low and slow for up to 36 hours in brick ovens, Laelia's cooked agaves get crushed with two-ton mechanized tahona wheels made from volcanic stone. As the juice comes out, the 'bagasse" (fibers) get separated by hand. Huízar's team leaves some of the bagasse, which contain the native yeasts, in the juice, so that when they transfer the juice to the open-top stainless and wooden tanks, the bubbly natural fermentation process begins without any additional yeast necessary. Next, after about 60 hours, it's on to Laelia's traditional copper stills for double distillation, then rectification to bring the spirit to the proper proof. Laelia Blanco then rests for at least 14 days in American oak barrels, while Laelia Reposado vacations for four-to-six months in toasty French barrels before bottling. In Guadalajara: Swing through saloon doors into the tiny 19th-century Cantina La Sin Rival for a rapid immersion into the Tapatío lifestyle. Cantina La Fuente, in the historical center, attracts tourists and locals for an iconic agave-fueled experience. El Gallo Altanero offers a more modern, cocktail bar cantina style. Stop into this 'North America's 50 Best Bars' for a sexy, yet down-to-earth drink. Nerd out on a selection of over 400 agave spirits at Axno while you relax on the terrace. Don't miss the sprawling Mercado San Juan de Dios, where local talabarteros (leather artisans) sell traditional belts adorned with agave fiber designs and worn by cowboys. In Tequila: Have a drink at La Capilla, where everyone downs the traditional Batanga cocktail of cola and tequila with a squeeze of lime in a salted glass, stirred with the knife they cut the lime with, just like at home In El Arenal, on the way to Tequila, visit Tequila Cascahuín for a lowland example of artisanal production techniques like the tahona (wheel grinder) method. In Tequila town, visit Tequila Arette Distillery for an intimate boutique distillery tour. The Tequila Fortaleza tour shows off the ancestral method step by step. Don Fulano offers the viewpoint of a fifth-generation agave farming family, and El Tequileño emphasizes heritage and traditional process. On the way back to Guadalajara, for some pre-Hispanic historical perspective, take a tour of Guachimontones, an extraordinary, grass-covered example of the Teuchitlan circular step pyramids. (An intro to mezcal, the centuries-old Mexican spirit that's having a moment) Lisa Futterman is a Chicago based chef who writes about spirits, travel, dining, and cooking for such publications as Food & Wine, Chicago Tribune, Thrillist, WTTW, MSN, and Eating Well. She is a contributing editor for Alcohol Professor, covering trends in gin, tequila, and ready-to-drink cocktails. Follow her journeys on Instagram @futtypages.
National Geographic
05-05-2025
- Business
- National Geographic
The story of tequila begins in Jalisco. Here's how to experience both.
Tequila is the fastest growing spirits category in the United States, and a truly artisanal agricultural spirit with a unique Mexican terroir and a culture all its own. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States' (DISCUS) 2025 Annual Economic Briefing, sales of the popular agave-based spirit grew by 2 percent from 2023 to 2024, leaving the rest of the bottles in the dust. Yet few of us know how tequila is produced and the rich heritage behind it. Culture and tradition A visit to Jalisco, where tequila is made (and mariachi-style music was born), provides an excellent peek into the centuries of tradition behind the process. Although tequila's official denomination of origin commenced in 1974, its history stretches back for centuries. Jalisco records hundreds of years of production, back to the 16th and 17th centuries, although pulque, the fermented juice of the maguey (agave) plant, was consumed by Aztecs and Nahuas as early as 250 A.D. Start learning in Guadalajara, the capital of the Western state of Jalisco, with a dip into cantina culture. 'Tequila is the number one ambassador of Mexico,' says Daniela Villasuso of Mijenta Tequila, a popular brand from the highlands of Jalisco. 'It embodies everything that has to do with how we live.' Here, you won't be drinking margaritas. Ease into things with a cantarito—a juicy mix of citrus and tequila, topped with soda and served in a natural clay jar rimmed with chili salt. 'And of course,' says Villasuso, 'sit next to a Mexican at a bar. Talk to us. We will give you some shots, and it will be done with love.' Tequila, made from agave, is the fastest-growing spirits category in the United States. Photograph by Ernst Haas,Cantaritos are made with citrus and tequila, topped with soda and served in a natural clay jar rimmed with chili salt. Photograph by Simon McGill, Getty Images Agronomy and terroir Soon after exiting the traffic of Guadalajara proper, you'll start to see mesmerizing rows of blue agave plants stretching in every direction. Fernando Pérez Ontiveros knows the valley, or lowlands, as the birthplace of tequila. A fourth-generation grower and distiller in Amatitán, Jalisco, Pérez Ontiveros recently launched a new brand, Laelia Tequila, an artisan tequila brimming with traditional lowland aromas and flavors like cooked agave, sweet potato, minerals, citrus, and lemongrass, with Grupo Solave and Casa Natima Distillery. This distinct profile starts in the agave fields. The minerality of the valley terroir comes not just from the volcanic soil, but also the volcanic water source from their own deep well. 'We only use agave and water,' says Pérez Ontiveros, 'at the end of the day, to make tequila, so they both better be very good.' (Bats and agaves make tequila possible—and they're both at risk) Eduardo Pérez Ontiveros, brother of Pérez Ontiveros, runs the farming side of Grupo Solave, and nurtures the baby plants once weaned. 'We select the hijuelos, the young shoots, by size from the mother plant,' he says, 'in the spring between the second and third year of the plant's life, plant them, then wait six years to have the best quality agaves.' These not-so-low lowlands, 3,500 feet above sea level, live at the foot of the dormant Volcán de Tequila. Here in La Valle, the soil contains lots of ash packed with minerals like iodine, calcium, magnesium, and sodium, the warm climate makes the agaves grow and sweeten quicker, and the tequila tends to show earthy peppery notes with a lot of pyrazine—the aroma compound that brings grassy, herbal, green aromas—in the glass. Agave is cooked in ovens at low temperatures to best bring out the flavors. Photograph by Mario Martinez, Getty Images Keep driving west towards Tequila, where the highland elevations climb to over 6,000 feet, and the red, iron-rich soil with its higher acidity work with cooler temperatures to stress the agave, slowly creating the sweeter, more tropical, viscous vanilla notes typical of the Los Altos terroir. Sergio Mendoza, Co-Founder of Don Fulano Tequila, agrees that the most critical element in the terroir and artisanship in traditional tequila productions comes from the soil. 'As fifth-generation agave farmers, we care for the ground, using regenerative farming practices. Through crop rotation and minimal agrochemical use, we nurture our land and handpick only selected mature agave plants for harvest. Maturity is paramount to quality.' Like the folks at Laelia, they grow their own agave, and walk the fields, testing brix (sucrose) level and 'selecting plant by plant for optimum maturity.' The timing for cutting each agave piña directly impacts the end result. Steffin Oghene, a vice president at El Tequileño, a heritage brand from the highlands, explains that 'if you taste a green banana [versus] a banana with black spots, one is very green and fresh in flavor and lacks complexity. The other is rich, sweet, and has layers of flavor. The banana with black spots represents mature agave. You need mature agave not only for its natural sugar content, but more for the complex flavor profile that it will provide to artisanal tequila.' A Jose Cuervo tequila shop in the center of Tequila, Mexico. Photograph by Anne-Emmanuelle Thion, Figarophoto/Redux Ancestral methods The last task in the field is the work of the jimador, who harvests and trims the agaves using the same hand-sharpened tool created for the job three centuries ago, according to the specifications of the maestro, or master distiller. Carlos Huízar, the maestro behind Laelia, says the jimador's job is critical to the flavors and aromas in the final product. 'In our case, at Laelia, the jima height is the key. We need to remove the most possible green parts of the penca, the agave leaf, in order to get that sweet potato aroma. For that reason, our jima height is smaller than normal." After roasting low and slow for up to 36 hours in brick ovens, Laelia's cooked agaves get crushed with two-ton mechanized tahona wheels made from volcanic stone. As the juice comes out, the 'bagasse" (fibers) get separated by hand. Huízar's team leaves some of the bagasse, which contain the native yeasts, in the juice, so that when they transfer the juice to the open-top stainless and wooden tanks, the bubbly natural fermentation process begins without any additional yeast necessary. Next, after about 60 hours, it's on to Laelia's traditional copper stills for double distillation, then rectification to bring the spirit to the proper proof. Laelia Blanco then rests for at least 14 days in American oak barrels, while Laelia Reposado vacations for four-to-six months in toasty French barrels before bottling. El Gallo Altanero in Guadalajara, Mexico, has been named one of "North America's 50 Best Bars." Photograph by CESAR RODRIGUEZ, The New York Times/Redux Where to try it In Guadalajara: Swing through saloon doors into the tiny 19th-century Cantina La Sin Rival for a rapid immersion into the Tapatío lifestyle. Cantina La Fuente, in the historical center, attracts tourists and locals for an iconic agave-fueled experience. El Gallo Altanero offers a more modern, cocktail bar cantina style. Stop into this 'North America's 50 Best Bars' for a sexy, yet down-to-earth drink. Nerd out on a selection of over 400 agave spirits at Axno while you relax on the terrace. Don't miss the sprawling Mercado San Juan de Dios, where local talabarteros (leather artisans) sell traditional belts adorned with agave fiber designs and worn by cowboys. In Tequila: Have a drink at La Capilla, where everyone downs the traditional Batanga cocktail of cola and tequila with a squeeze of lime in a salted glass, stirred with the knife they cut the lime with, just like at home In El Arenal, on the way to Tequila, visit Tequila Cascahuín for a lowland example of artisanal production techniques like the tahona (wheel grinder) method. In Tequila town, visit Tequila Arette Distillery for an intimate boutique distillery tour. The Tequila Fortaleza tour shows off the ancestral method step by step. Don Fulano offers the viewpoint of a fifth-generation agave farming family, and El Tequileño emphasizes heritage and traditional process. On the way back to Guadalajara, for some pre-Hispanic historical perspective, take a tour of Guachimontones, an extraordinary, grass-covered example of the Teuchitlan circular step pyramids. (An intro to mezcal, the centuries-old Mexican spirit that's having a moment) How to do it When to go The area is hottest in April and May, and the rainy season happens June to September. Plan a visit during National Tequila Day (July 24th) or the Fiestas de Tequila in December, when the town comes alive with parades, tastings, and live music. How to get there Fly into Guadalajara International Airport (GDL) from Mexico City and many other cities in Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. After a few days exploring and cantina-hopping with the Tapatíos (Guadalajara residents), rent a car, or take a taxi or tour for the hour-long ride to El Arenal in the lowlands, or one hour and 45 minutes to Tequila and the highlands. Where to stay If you choose to stay longer in charming Tequila town, stay at the contemporary Casa Salles Hotel Boutique, located at El Tequileño's distillery, the only place, says Oghene, 'where guests sleep surrounded by the aroma of cooked agave.' Lisa Futterman is a Chicago based chef who writes about spirits, travel, dining, and cooking for such publications as Food & Wine, Chicago Tribune, Thrillist, WTTW, MSN, and Eating Well. She is a contributing editor for Alcohol Professor, covering trends in gin, tequila, and ready-to-drink cocktails. Follow her journeys on Instagram @futtypages.
Miami Herald
03-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Popular whiskey brand files Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Spirits distillers have been forced to reorganize their businesses and restructure debt, sometimes filing for bankruptcy, after rising operating costs from inflation and a decrease in consumer spending on alcohol after the Covid-19 pandemic led to a decline in profits. Problems this year were preceded by financial issues in 2024. Spirits supplier sales in the U.S. declined 1.1% in 2024 for a total of $37.2 billion, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States reported in its Annual Economic Briefing in February 2025. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Stoli USA, which distills vodka and other spirits, finished last year filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Nov. 27, 2024, after financial distress led to a default on $78 million in secured debt owed to Fifth Third Bank NA. Related: Another popular whiskey brand files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Craft spirits producer Boston Harbor Distillery, which makes whiskey, rum, gin, liqueurs, and distilled beer, on March 31, 2025, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, seeking to reorganize its business. The Dorchester, Mass.-based distiller was established in 2012 by Samuel Adams brewer Boston Beer Company's co-founder Rhonda Kallman, a leader in the craft beverage industry. House Spirits Distillery LLC, which makes Westward Whiskey, filed its Chapter 11 Subchapter V petition on April 6 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, listing $1 million to $10 million in assets and debts. The company filed its petition, suffering from financial distress after over-expanding just before the liquor market contracted, the company's CEO Thomas Mooney told Breaking Bourbon, TheStreet's Dan Kline reported. Tacoma, Wash.-based McCallum & Sons Whisky Co., a premier boutique Scotch whisky and cognac bottle shop, revealed on its website that it is liquidating its inventory and closing permanently on April 30, 2025. The company did not indicate whether it will file for bankruptcy. McCallum & Sons in January posted a message on social media revealing that it was closing and liquidating its business. "Closing. After much deliberation, we have decided to close the doors of McCallum & Sons Whisky Co. on April 30, 2025. We have appreciated you all being part of this journey with us," the message said. And now, popular whiskey brand Devils River Distillery LLC and an affiliate filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to reorganize their business and continue operating. Related: Popular whiskey brand files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy The San Antonio-based distiller of Devil's River Whiskey, featuring five different bourbon whiskeys and a rye whiskey, opened for business in 2017 and has expanded to 36 states, five countries, and cruise lines offering premium and craft bourbons. More bankruptcies: Popular restaurant and bar chain files for Chapter 11 bankruptcyPopular athletic shoe chain files for Chapter 11 bankruptcyAward-winning cosmetics brand files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy The debtor listed $1 million to $10 million in assets and liabilities in its Subchapter V petition filed on May 1 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Texas. Its largest unsecured creditors include McDermott, Will & Emory, owed over $317,000; Sazerac, owed over $258,000; AREA Real Estate, owed over $132,000 and Romph & Pou Agency, owed over $83,000. The debtor is expected to have funds available to distribute to its unsecured creditors. Devil's River Whiskey's products include Bourbon Whiskey, Barrel Strength Bourbon, Coffee Bourbon, Agave Bourbon, Cinnamon Bourbon, Single Barrel Straight Bourbon, and Rye Whiskey, which are available at 100s of restaurants and retail locations in 36 states. Related: Popular liquor brand files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
