Perth-born whisky brand The Famous Grouse bought by billionaire Scottish drinks family

The Perthshire-founded whisky brand The Famous Grouse has been bought by Scottish drinks giant William Grant & Sons.

The blended whisky is currently owned by the 1887 Company, which is part of Edrington.

William Grant & Sons is a family-owned group based in Lanarkshire which produces whisky including The Balvenie, Glenfiddich and Hendrick’s gin.

The drink-maker will acquire the Famous Grouse and Naked Malt brands from the 1887 company for an undisclosed sum.

The Famous Grouse overtook Jack Daniel’s as the UK’s best-selling whisky in 2020, with value sales topping £71 million.

Last year, the brand signed a deal to become the official whisky partner for Scotland’s men and women’s rugby teams.

Famous Grouse sold by Scottish billionaire

William Grant & Sons is owned by Scottish billionaire Glenn Gordon.

The drinks-magnate was named as one of the country’s richest men in the most recent Sunday Times Rich List, with a combined fortune of £5.619 billion.

A spokesperson for William Grant & Sons said: “Having been around for over 125 years, The Famous Grouse has a rich history and would be a significant addition to our portfolio.

“The brand has potential for innovation and international growth in a number of markets, and we’re excited about what the future holds.”

The acquisition is subject to customary regulatory approvals, including from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, William Grant & Sons added.

Perth’s Famous Grouse

In 1897 the company, headquartered in Bordeaux House in Kinnoull Street, Perth, adopted the red game bird as its motif and the whisky became known as Gloag’s Grouse.

Over the years, as its popularity grew, the blend, aimed at Highland shooting parties, was rebranded as The Famous Grouse.

It was for years associated with Scottish Rugby, sponsoring the men’s national team outright for more than two decades.

But its last physical connections to Perthshire were severed in 2018, when Edrington sold the hugely popular Famous Grouse Experience visitor attraction.

This was just two years after Edrington switched its Perth-based management office to a new consolidated headquarters building in Glasgow.

The Glenturret distillery in Crieff was then bought by the French luxury brand the Lalique Group.