Phillips Distilling Company LLC is an American beverage manufacturer and distributor based in Princeton, Minnesota. The company produces a variety of alcoholic drink products, including UV Vodka and Kamora liqueur. As of 2021, it is the largest liquor producer in the state of Minnesota.[2]
 | |
| Formerly | Ed Phillips & Sons (1912–1971) |
|---|---|
| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Beverages |
| Founded | 1912, in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Headquarters | Princeton, Minnesota, U.S. |
Key people | Andy England (CEO) Brian Kohlbeck (CFO) [1] |
| Products | vodka, liqueur, brandy, gin, rum, Canadian whisky, and schnapps |
| Owner | The Phillips Family |
| Website | phillipsdistilling |
Phillips' main products include vodka, gin, rum, Canadian whisky, brandy and schnapps. Phillips also produces specialty drinks such as Revel Stoke Spiced Whisky, Gin-Ka, Phillips Union Whiskey, and a 100 proof series of schnapps. In addition, Phillips formerly produced the Belvedere Vodka brand before selling it to LVMH.[3]
A privately held company, it is owned by the Phillips Family. Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips was the company’s president and CEO from 2000 until 2012.[4]
History
editFounded as Ed Phillips & Sons in 1912 in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, the company originally sold candy, newspapers, and tobacco. However, at the end of Prohibition in 1933, it switched to producing liquor.[5] Soon afterwards, the family moved the company to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where it began making its schnapps product line. At the end of World War II, Ed Phillips & Sons was the largest liquor producer in the United States.[5]
In 1971, founder Ed Phillips sold the company to the American conglomerate Alco Standard.[5] When Alco Standard began liquidation in the mid-1980s, the Phillips family leveraged a buyout of their former family business.[5] Keeping only the brand management division, the company was rebranded as Phillips Distilling.
Since the 1990s, Phillips Distilling has gone on to add new brands of vodka and alcoholic drinks to its portfolio. Notably, it introduced Belvedere Vodka to the United States and, in addition, acquired the Kamora and Leroux brands from Suntory Global Spirits in 2021.[6]
References
edit- ^ "Phillips Distilling Company - Org Chart, Teams, Culture & Jobs". THE ORG. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
- ^ Tribune, Brooks Johnson Star. "Minnesota's Phillips Distilling acquires two new brands". Star Tribune. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
- ^ Mandelbaum, Robb. "He Sold Americans On Small Luxuries Like Gelato. Can He Sell His Minnesota Nice Politics?". Forbes. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
- ^ Saul, Derek. "Who Is Potential Biden Primary Challenger Dean Phillips? Millionaire Former Gelato Exec Turned Congressman Would Be President's Most Prominent Opponent". Forbes. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Edward Jay Phillips". Twin Cities Business. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
- ^ Carruthers, Nicola (2 November 2021). "Phillips Distilling buys liqueur brands from Beam Suntory". The Spirits Business. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
External links
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