() is a
French company producing
Alcoholic Beverage s. Their most famous product, ''Ricard
Pastis '', is often referred to as simply '''Ricard'''. The company also produces several other types of pastis.
Reborn from the
Pernod Fils company as a producer of Pastis following the ban on
Absinthe , it is now a worldwide conglomerate. It owns the
Austin, Nichols company (maker of
Wild Turkey Whiskies ) and the alcoholic beverage division of the former
Seagram corporation, among many other holdings. In
2005 , the company acquired British-based international competitor
Allied Domecq plc. This acquisition made it one of the world's largest beverage groups, behind only
InBev and
Diageo by sales.
- 1915 - Production and consumption of Absinthe is prohibited in France. Most companies look for alternative and begin the production of Pastis
- 1926 - All 3 distilleries merge to form .
- 1940 - Production of Pastis is prohibited by the Vichy regime.
- 1944 - Production of Pastis becomes legal again.
- 1968 - Paul Ricard retires, his son Patrick becomes CEO in 1978
- 1975 - Old rivals Pernod and Ricard merge to form .
Pernod Ricard owns a wide variety of beverage brands worldwide. These include:
As of
26 July 2005, the brand portfolio expanded to include former Allied Domecq products:
Lincolnshire ,
Illinois -based
Fortune Brands acquired a number of former Allied Domecq brands from Pernod Ricard following Pernod Ricard’s acquisition of Allied Domecq. These include:
Fortune Brands’ agreement with Pernod Ricard also includes the purchase of the
Maker’s Mark bourbon brand, which remains subject to regulatory clearance in the United States. While the U.S.
Federal Trade Commission conducts its review, Maker’s Mark will be owned and managed by Pernod Ricard and Pernod Ricard will receive the earnings on the brand. Fortune Brands will be compensated with interest payments pending transfer of the brand.
Yoo-Hoo chocolate beverage (notably non-alcoholic) was sold to
Cadbury Schweppes in
2001 .
