Stoli appoints Cellar Trends as UK distributor

The Stoli Group has announced the appointment of Cellar Trends as the exclusive distributor for its portfolio in the UK, effective January 1, 2018.

Cellar Trends has been responsible for Stoli’s Louisiana-made Bayou Rum. The partnership will now include: Stolichnaya and the ultra-premium positioned, Elit ,vodkas. Previously, Maxxium UK distributed Stolichnaya and Elit.

In May, Stoli Group’s SPI Group subsidiary, Amber Beverage Group, announced that it had bought a minority stake in Cellar Trends.

Stoli Group global CEO Hugues Pietrini said: “As our portfolio expanded into new categories, it became important that we consolidated the brands and worked with a single distribution partner.

“We thank Maxxium for all of their efforts in laying a solid foundation for our vodkas in the United Kingdom and look forward to building on it with Cellar Trends, who have a strong track record in building brands in what it is a strategic market for our company’s portfolio.”

Cellar Trends joint managing director, Martin Watts said: “These vodka brands bring distinctive credentials to our current spirits offerings – Stoli with its near 80-year heritage, and Elit as one of the highest-rated white spirits in the world.”

The Stoli Group was established in 2013 as the division responsible for the management, distribution and marketing of the SPI Group’s global spirits portfolio.