Why Are Spirits Called Spirits
No one really knows exactly why spirits are called spirits, but historians like to speculate. Whats bottled is the evaporated essence or spirit from the distillation of alcohol. Like a ghost, it disappears into thin air and then reappears in liquid form inside a still. Early people who saw this process unfold may have thought there was some invisible spirit being controlling this process, hence the name.
Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits
Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits are America’s largest Spirits and Wine distributor. It was founded in 1968 in Florida. It then expanded from Florida to California in 1969. It provides services to 36 states and 1178 wineries – as per Wines & Vines Analytics. As per Forbes Magazine, the firm generated $16.5 billion in revenue in 2016. It sold 150 million cases of spirits and wines in 2016.
Headquarters: Miami, FL
Executive Vice Chairman: Bennett Glazer
CEO: Wayne Chaplin
President: Sheldon Stein
Why Are Cocktails Called Cocktails
The history behind the name cocktail is pretty murky, since people making the first ones were drinking and didnt bother to write down their thought process. But cocktail historians say that the first reference to a cocktail dates to 1806 and it was talking about a mix of strong spirits, water, sugar, and bitters.
In colonial times, shop keepers kept different spirits in wood casks. When the casks were almost empty, they would pour them all into one cask, and serve them through a tap called a cock. People who wanted to drink cheaply would ask for these mixed dregs, which came to be called the cock tailings.
Another story from New Orleans says that the Peychaud pharmacy, which was famous for their bitters, would serve medicinal alcoholic drinks in a French egg cup. This cup was called a coquetier in French over time the name was Americanized into cocktail.
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Ownership Change In 1973
Ownership of National Liquor did not change again until 1973, when the current chairman and CEO of NWS, James LaCrosse, first became involved with the business. A Harvard M.B.A., LaCrosse and brothers William and Cameron Johnston bought National Liquor from Charles Johnson, Jr., intending to hold onto the business just long enough to turn it around and resell it. At the time National Liquor remained very much a local distributor, booking just over $14 million in 1973. Because business showed such dramatic improvement in just six months, the partners decided to hold onto the company. A year later William Johnston died and his interest passed to his widow, Norma Johnston, who in 2002 still controlled a 17 percent stake. In 1995 Cameron Johnston sold out to LaCrosse, who now owned 83 percent of National Liquor.
In 1996, U.S. Beverage was founded as a national broker of increasingly popular microbrewed, craft beers, as well as imports and specialty malt products. In March 1997 it commenced operations as a division of NWS. In the ensuing years U.S. Beverage obtained the exclusive U.S. distribution rights to Hoopers Hooch, a flavored malt beverage produced by Bass PLC the beers of Goose Island Brewing Company the products of Grolsch International and Seagrams Coolers and Ricks Lemonade.
Reorganization Creates Corporate Holding Company In 1998
In the late 1990s the industry underwent a period of consolidation. With annual revenues of more than $540 million NWS was one of the countrys top ten distributors but in this new, highly competitive environment it was essentially forced to grow larger, to either be the acquirer or the acquired. In keeping with this reality, in December 1998 the company underwent a reorganization and the present NWS holding company was formed. LaCrosse and Mrs. Johnston owned virtually all of the stock of the Indiana and Michigan subsidiaries, and along with Martin H. Bart owned the Illinois subsidiary. A longtime Seagrams executive, Bart joined the Illinois operation as vice-chairman in 1995. LaCrosse and Mrs. Johnston exchanged their shares for stock in the new holding company, while Bart exchanged his shares in the old Illinois entity for shares in the new Illinois entity. The reorganization complete, the stage was set for a major bond offering in January 1999 to fund future expansion. NWS raised $110 million through the sale of high yield or junk bonds, a first for wholesale distributors, which typically relied on their own funds or traditional bank lending. Much of the proceeds, in fact, were used to pay down bank debt, freeing up a large line of credit and allowing NWS access to the debt market if it needed to.
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Rndc And National Wine And Spirits Of Michigan Announce Joint Venture In Michigan
DALLAS, TX January 24, 2014 Republic National Distributing Company USA and National Wine and Spirits of Michigan today announced their agreement to create a joint venture in the state of Michigan. The two companies will join together to distribute wines and spirits through the States Authorized Distribution Agent system and Nationals existing wine wholesale distributor and current brokerage company. The new company will be named RNDC National to reflect a shared vision and alignment between the two companies.
The new joint venture will benefit from Nationals market-leading spirits position, winery partnerships and beer alliances as well as RNDCs industry-leading sales, marketing and supply chain management expertise.
Tom Cole, President of RNDC-USA, said, We are excited to partner with Jim LaCrosse, John Baker and their Michigan team to bring superior service and offerings from our supplier partners to Michigan retailers and restaurateurs. We are fortunate to represent many outstanding producers through our ADA, wholesale and brokerage partnership with NWS Michigan and look forward to our growth prospects in the Great Lakes State.
The transaction is expected to close in the next few weeks subject to closing conditions.
Johnson Brothers Liquor Co
Johnson Brothers Liquor Co. was founded in 1953. It offers full-service distribution including wine, spirits, beer, water, and other non-alcoholic beverages. It serves in 22 states, in the upper Midwest and Southwest regions. It also provides professional sales consulting services and design and printing services.
Headquarters: St. Paul, Minn.
COO: Todd Johnson
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National Wine & Spirits
Warehouse Expansion | A warehouse expansion with partial basement increased the main Indiana warehouse for National Wine & Spirits, the largest distributor of wine and spirits in the Midwest, to 325,000 square feet. CE Solutions designed the additions conventionally reinforced concrete one-way slab and beam floor framing system and basement walls, columns, and foundations to support heavy warehouse loading in addition to a pre-engineered metal-building-system structure. Included in the project was the filling of a deep abandoned process pit with compacted soil finished off with a heavy duty concrete floor slab-on-grade. The existing facility remained operational throughout construction. Crucial to the projects success was the ability to construct the new enclosed loading dock while still being able to ship and receive product from the existing loading dock in the same area.
Warehouse and Loading Dock Expansion | Another project for National Wine & Spirits added a new, temperaturecontrolled warehouse building and expanded and improved the enclosed loading dock. The design added larger loading dock bays and introduced a new shipping office within the existing building.
Structural modifications to the existing building allowed the facility to accommodate a new, totally automated material handling system. The project, completed in 2005, added approximately 40,500 square feet of warehouse and approximately 3,800 square feet of enclosed dock area.
What Liquor Is White
The list of white or clear spirits is headlined by vodka, gin, grappa brandy, schnapps, and mezcal. But any type of liquor can be made in a clear version as long as its not aged in wood to give it color. So you can find white rum, silver tequila, and even white unaged whiskey, which is called white dog. So the list of white spirits is pretty extensive.
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National Wine & Spirits Deal Launched Serial Investor
After selling a half-interest and operating control in liquor distributor National Wine & Spirits five years ago, Jim LaCrosse transformed into a serial investor.
One who wanted nothing to do with wine or spirits.
He has invested in a health-care software company, a foam products maker, a cellphone tower services company. In all, six diverse companies make up the growing portfolio of LaCrosses 3-year-old Indianapolis holding company, NWS Holdings.
About the only thing the companies have in common is LaCrosse and his money. While he wont say how many millions hes invested, theres no doubt LaCrosse has become one of the most active business investors in the Indianapolis area. And maybe the most senior.
Im 83 years old. I dont like traveling … and I dont play bridge, said LaCrosse.
So he invests. Quietly.
LaCrosse has largely stayed out of the public eye over his long career. By choice. He doesnt like media mentions. He agreed to talk to The Indianapolis Star recently to address a lawsuit against the foam products company he bought about two years ago.
Its former New York landlord, Jim Stallman, of Providence, R.I., says LaCrosses firm owed him rent and left the New York building in poor condition and removed $200,000 worth of equipment that didnt belong to him. Stallman vows further litigation.
LaCrosse disputes the claims. Never a dull moment, he said.
Were throwing off profits and looking for opportunities to invest, is the way LaCrosse puts it now.
Republic National Distributing Co
Republic National Distributing Co. is the second largest beverage alcohol distributor of premium wine and spirits in the US. It represents 7581 wineries according to Wines & Vines Analytics. According to Forbes, it generated revenue of $6.5 billion in 2016. Forbes also ranks RNDC as the 49th largest private company in the US. It has more than 9,000 employees nationwide. It distributes products within its specific markets for alcohol suppliers ranging in size from local to national corporations.
Headquarters: Grand Prairie, Texas
EVP & COO: Robert Hendrickson
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Repeal Of Prohibition: 1933
The great experiment of banning alcoholic beverages in the United States, Prohibition, began in 1919 but lasted little more than a decade. Americans drank just as much, if not more in some cases, and outlawing alcohol resulted in well-funded organized crime rather than greater sobriety. In 1933 President Franklin Roosevelt repealed Prohibition, and a year later the National Liquor Company, predecessor to NWS, was issued Permit #7 from the Indiana Alcoholic Beverage Commission to distribute spirits in the central Indiana area. Designed to keep organized crime out of the industry, as well as to facilitate the collection of taxes, a new three-tier regulatory framework was erected at both the federal and state levels. Spirit, wine, and beer manufacturers were effectively banned from selling directly to retailers or consumers, making distributors like National Liquor a necessary part of the new system. A number of states, however, kept out private industry entirely, the government acting as the exclusive distributor and/or retailer of alcoholic beverages.
National portfolio. At this time, distributors were not pursuing the wine side of the alcoholic beverage business. By entering the wine market, National took its first step toward becoming a dominant wine distributor, especially in the expanding grocery market. The Capitol Hill and Melody Hill deals set the stage for company growth that would continue the rest of the century.
Southern Glatzer’s Wine & Spirits Of New York Llc
Case Number: 29-UC-306721
Location: Syosset, NY
Region Assigned: Region 29, Brooklyn, New York
Unit Description: Included: All employees engaged in the trimming of windows, counter displays, etc., janitoring, portering work, chauffeur messenger work, and including all warehousemen, checkers, material and stationery samples and supplies distributors and supervisors, subject to limitations of Section 9 of the National Labor Relations.Exluded: See Article 1 of the current collective bargaining agreement.
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