Diageo North America Acquires Ritual Spirits
Diageo North America is expanding its portfolio of non-alcoholic spirits with the purchase of Ritual.
Ritual was founded by David Crooch, Marcus Sakey, and GG Sakey in 2019 and manufactures non-alcoholic alternatives to spirits like whiskey, tequila, gin, rum, and aperitif. Its products are sold in retail stores and through a dedicated D-to-C e-commerce site.
In 2020, the company acquired a minority stake in Ritual through Distill Ventures, an accelerator that helps Diageo grow and scale its efforts.
“Ritual Zero Proof is the No. 1 brand in the fastest growing adult beverage category, and meets growing consumer demand for a flavorful and sophisticated, yet accessible spirits alternative,” said Diageo North America CEO Sally Grimes in a statement. “We are delighted to welcome it into our broader portfolio, where it will beautifully complement both our non-alc offerings, as well as those with alcohol, and serve to present consumers with even more choice and variety.”
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Crooch will continue working with Diageo as general manager of the company’s non-alcohol business, helping to lead the unit’s expansion.
“With the continued and widespread growth of the category, there is significant market presence and consumer demand,” said Crooch. “Ritual has the ability to meet consumer desires and tastes, seamlessly offering traditional spirit alternatives ounce-for-ounce.”
Diageo's Recent Developments
Diageo is in a period of innovative growth, investing in more sustainable, personalized packaging and overhauling its IT environment under the leadership of a new CEO, Sally Grimes, along with a new president and COO for its North America business, Claudia Schubert.
In the last year, Diageo has 👍
- Introduced paper-based packaging trials to its Baileys brand
- Invested in generative AI for a Johnnie Walker personalization packaging initiative
- Made product information for blind or low-vision consumers easily accessible via a QR code on its Ketel One packaging
- Completed a five-year pilot with its Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ultra bottle, resulting in its lightest bottle to date
