Lion has acquired the remaining 50 per cent of leading gin brand Four Pillars, having bought 50 per cent of the distiller four years ago. Four Pillars joins Lion’s Vanguard Luxury Brands distribution business to form a new, stand-alone spirits division called Four Corners Global Spirits.
The acquisition includes the recently upgraded carbon neutral distillery in Healesville and all domestic and international sales and marketing of the brand.
Four Pillars co-founders, chief distiller Cameron Mackenzie, and brand and strategy director, Matt Jones, will stay on in their current capacities. Co-founder and trade director Stuart Gregor will remain in the short-term before taking an extended sabbatical. Four Pillars was founded by the trio in 2013.
Stuart Gregor became president of the Australian Distillers Association in 2014, in the footsteps of Tasmanian whisky pioneer, Bill Lark, and held the position until 2022. Earlier this year, he was inducted into the Australian Distillers Hall of Fame.
Mackenzie said it was the right step.
“This is a great day for our brand, the business, our home in Healesville, our investors, families and staff. It does feel like it’s been a whirlwind 10 years, and this feels like the absolute right next step.
“Lion has played an integral part in us expanding our Healesville home, increasing our footprint across Australia and now increasingly New Zealand, as well as helping us plug into some great opportunities internationally and in Global Travel Retail through the wider Lion network.”
Lion CEO Sam Fischer said, “It’s not every day you get to buy the world’s best gin distillery but today Lion is absolutely thrilled to add Four Pillars to our portfolio.
“Twice winners of the International Gin Distillery of the year, on the shortlist again this year, and Australia’s benchmark craft spirit – it is a great day for our business.
Four Corners Global Spirits will be headed up by former Beam Suntory executive Ed Stening, who will report into Lion Australia managing director, David Smith.
Fischer said, “We look forward to supporting the continued growth of this remarkable brand, working with Cam and Matt to help drive our future plans. Alongside continued investment behind our core beer business, we see premium spirits as a real opportunity for future growth.”
Lion’s core beer portfolio includes XXXX, Little Creatures, James Squire, Stone & Wood, Emerson’s, Speights and Panhead. It has a growing craft beer presence in the US, having brought New Belgium in 2019, and Bell’s Brewery in 2021, into the fold.
Four Pillars became well known for its annual limited release Bloody Shiraz Gin and Christmas Gin, made using Cam Mackenzie's mum's (Wilma) Christmas pudding recipe and distilled in the Four Pillars still, named after Wilma.
at Four Pillars' expanded distillery.
(Image credit: Anson Smart)
Last year the distillery unveiled the $7 million expansion of Healesville by sustainability design firm Breathe Architecture and reopened as Australia's first carbon neutral gin distillery in Australia.
Four Pillars was awarded International Gin Producer of the Year in 2019 and 2020 by the IWSC. In 2022, the IWSC awarded Four Pillars its inaugural Greens Spirit Initiative Trophy for its sustainability initiatives and carbon neutrality.
Vanguard Luxury Brands was founded in 2008 by James France and has grown to be one of Australia’s leading producer, importer, marketer and distributors of premium spirits such as Four Pillars, Michter’s, Fortaleza and MoCo. Vanguard distributes across all states and territories to bars, liquor stores, restaurants, and hotels.
