We can all remember the days in 2016 and 2017, when the major drinks multinationals began taking a very close look at the burgeoning craft spirits world, which had been exploding with consumer enthusiasm. The big spirits companies, having seen the negative impact of craft brewing on the image of big brewers, were determined not to let it happen to them. They began to take action, first and foremost by pointing to the quality involved in making their own legacy brands. They doubled down on featuring smaller, limited edition releases, and then started making selective acquisitions of the craft brands themselves. In fairly rapid fire fashion, some of the better known craft players formed partnerships or were acquired outright—names like High West, Woodinville, Smooth Ambler, and others.
But that was…
