Gallo completes record $775M purchase of KY’s Four Roses bourbon distillery
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- GALLO finalized up to $775 million deal to acquire Four Roses bourbon distillery.
- Company plans to retain Four Roses team and master distiller Brent Elliott.
- Acquisition aims to expand GALLO’s spirits portfolio and global bourbon reach.
Wine giant Gallo announced April 2 it’s completed the purchase of Four Roses, which was announced in February.
The deal for up to $775 million set a new record price for a Kentucky bourbon distillery.
In a news release, the Modesto, California, company said it’s “bringing one of America’s most iconic bourbon brands back under U.S. family ownership for the first time in 83 years. The acquisition marks a pivotal moment for Four Roses as it enters a new chapter of heritage, craftsmanship, and growth.”
The bourbon brand will enhance Gallo’s global portfolio and bring in a key spirits category. The company said it is “committed to continuity across liquid, production, traditions, and people. Four Roses’ existing team will remain in place, including master distiller Brent Elliott.”
Elliott, who was named master distiller at Four Roses in 2015, said in the release the deal is “an incredibly exciting chapter for Four Roses and a meaningful milestone in our 138-year history.”
Elliott previously said the timing was perfect for the purchase, coming as its former owner, the Japanese company Kirin, was looking to focus on other sectors after having rebuilt the brand and expanded the distillery and other facilities in Kentucky.
“Four Roses is one of the most respected bourbons in the world — defined by heritage and craftsmanship — and Kirin was instrumental in reestablishing the brand as a premium straight whiskey in the U.S.,” Britt West, chief commercial officer of Gallo, said in the news release. “Gallo has more than five decades of expertise in spirits distillation, maturation, and brand building. We are committed to upholding Four Roses’ quality and building the brand as a cornerstone of our portfolio through increased consumer and trade engagement, innovation, and global expansion.”
This story was originally published April 2, 2026 at 3:46 PM.
