Brown-Forman Announces Casa Herradura Expansion

Distillery Investment Expands Tequila Production in Mexico

LOUISVILLE, Ky.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Brown-Forman Corporation (NYSE:BFA,BFB) today announces plans to expand its Casa Herradura tequila distillery in Jalisco, Mexico. The approximate $200 million USD investment will allow the company to meet the increasing global demand for its premium tequilas. Construction is expected to begin in July, 2023.

“The world’s growing taste for premium tequila is driving double-digit net sales growth^*of our Herradura and el Jimador brands. We believe strong consumer interest in tequila will continue and we’re expanding our production capacity to meet this demand,” said Lawson Whiting, President and Chief Executive Officer, Brown-Forman Corporation. “This strategic investment will improve our production efficiencies and increase our competitiveness.”

Casa Herradura is one of Mexico’s most historic and renowned tequila producers. They have been hand harvesting, producing, and estate bottling fine tequilas from the small town of Amatitán, Jalisco, since 1870. Brown-Forman acquired Casa Herradura in 2007.

“This multi-phase project includes adding to our distillery operations, bottling, maturation, and processing areas. This expansion is particularly exciting as it will also advance our existing waste-to-energy efforts with a new water recycling and treatment plant,” said Elisa Gutierrez, Vice President and General Manager, Casa Herradura.

The first phase will expand the water recycling and treatment plant, followed by the expansion of capacity for distilling, bottling, maturation, and processing. It builds upon Casa Herradura’s commitment to environmental sustainability.

Casa Herradura was a pioneer in establishing a water recycling and treatment plant that met government standards and is one of Brown-Forman’s zero waste to landfill sites. Less than one percent of the solid waste generated goes to landfill, creating a more sustainable process and product. Over the past decade, Brown-Forman has made significant investments in state-of-the-art technology and implementation of processes for environmental care.

Tequila is the fastest growing spirits category globally by value with the majority of the growth within the category driven by the super premium+ price segment. The U.S. market accounts for 32 million 9L cases, and $12 billion in retail value. (IWSR 2022)

* Reported net sales growth for the nine months ended January 31, 2023

About Brown-Forman:

For more than 150 years, Brown-Forman Corporation has enriched the experience of life by responsibly building fine quality beverage alcohol brands, including Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Ready-to-Drinks, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple, Gentleman Jack, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, Woodford Reserve, Old Forester, Coopers’ Craft, The GlenDronach, Benriach, Glenglassaugh, Slane, Herradura, el Jimador, New Mix, Korbel, Sonoma-Cutrer, Finlandia, Chambord, Fords Gin, Gin Mare, and Diplomático Rum. Brown-Forman’s brands are supported by approximately 5,200 employees globally and sold in more than 170 countries worldwide. For more information about the company, please visit brown-forman.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.

Important Information on Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains statements, estimates, and projections that are “forward-looking statements” as defined under U.S. federal securities laws. Words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “aspire,” “believe,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “envision,” “estimate,” “expect,” “expectation,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “outlook,” “plan,” “potential,” “project,” “pursue,” “see,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” “would,” and similar words indicate forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date we make them. Except as required by law, we do not intend to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, and other factors (many beyond our control) that could cause our actual results to differ materially from our historical experience or from our current expectations or projections. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to:

Our substantial dependence upon the continued growth of the Jack Daniel’s family of brands
Substantial competition from new entrants, consolidations by competitors and retailers, and other competitive activities, such as pricing actions (including price reductions, promotions, discounting, couponing, or free goods), marketing, category expansion, product introductions, or entry or expansion in our geographic markets or distribution networks
Route-to-consumer changes that affect the timing of our sales, temporarily disrupt the marketing or sale of our products, or result in higher fixed costs
Disruption of our distribution network or inventory fluctuations in our products by distributors, wholesalers, or retailers
Changes in consumer preferences, consumption, or purchase patterns – particularly away from larger producers in favor of small distilleries or local producers, or away from brown spirits, our premium products, or spirits generally, and our ability to anticipate or react to them; further legalization of marijuana; shifts in consumer purchase practices; bar, restaurant, travel, or other on-premise declines; shifts in demographic or health and wellness trends; or unfavorable consumer reaction to new products, line extensions, package changes, product reformulations, or other product innovation
Production facility, aging warehouse, or supply chain disruption
Imprecision in supply/demand forecasting
Higher costs, lower quality, or unavailability of energy, water, raw materials, product ingredients, or labor
Impact of health epidemics and pandemics, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and the risk of the resulting negative economic impacts and related governmental actions
Unfavorable global or regional economic conditions, particularly related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and related economic slowdowns or recessions, low consumer confidence, high unemployment, weak credit or capital markets, budget deficits, burdensome government debt, austerity measures, higher interest rates, higher taxes, political instability, higher inflation, deflation, lower returns on pension assets, or lower discount rates for pension obligations
Product recalls or other product liability claims, product tampering, contamination, or quality issues
Negative publicity related to our company, products, brands, marketing, executive leadership, employees, Board of Directors, family stockholders, operations, business performance, or prospects
Failure to attract or retain key executive or employee talent
Risks associated with acquisitions, dispositions, business partnerships, or investments – such as acquisition integration, termination difficulties or costs, or impairment in recorded value
Risks associated with being a U.S.-based company with a global business, including commercial, political, and financial risks; local labor policies and conditions; protectionist trade policies, or economic or trade sanctions, including new retaliatory tariffs on American whiskeys and the effectiveness of our actions to mitigate the negative impact on our margins, sales, and distributors; compliance with local trade practices and other regulations; terrorism; and health pandemics
Failure to comply with anti-corruption laws, trade sanctions and restrictions, or similar laws or regulations
Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, particularly a stronger U.S. dollar
Changes in laws, regulatory measures, or governmental policies – especially those that affect the production, importation, marketing, labeling, pricing, distribution, sale, or consumption of our beverage alcohol products
Tax rate changes (including excise, corporate, sales or value-added taxes, property taxes, payroll taxes, import and export duties, and tariffs) or changes in related reserves, changes in tax rules or accounting standards, and the unpredictability and suddenness with which they can occur
Decline in the social acceptability of beverage alcohol in significant markets
Significant additional labeling or warning requirements or limitations on availability of our beverage alcohol products
Counterfeiting and inadequate protection of our intellectual property rights
Significant legal disputes and proceedings, or government investigations
Cyber breach or failure or corruption of our key information technology systems or those of our suppliers, customers, or direct and indirect business partners, or failure to comply with personal data protection laws
Our status as a family “controlled company” under New York Stock Exchange rules, and our dual-class share structure

For further information on these and other risks, please refer to our public filings, including the “Risk Factors” section of our annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contacts

Elizabeth Conway, Brown-Forman, Elizabeth_Conway@b-f.com
Mariana Esquinca, Tequila Herradura and el Jimador, Mariana_Esquinca@b-f.com