Date: June 12, 2016
Publication: Inquirer.net
Link: http://business.inquirer.net/211005/fundador-says-salud-to-ph

Philippine Independence Day celebrations in Spain this year have taken on a distinctively new flavor.

For the first time in close to 300 years, Fundador, Spain’s oldest brandy established in 1730, introduced a limited-edition commemorative bottle, designed with the Philippine flag, a logo of the Philippine Embassy in Spain and a special message from Carlos Salinas, Philippine Ambassador to Spain.

The special commemorative bottle was issued by Fundador to celebrate the 118th anniversary of the independence of the Philippines, which was under Spain’s rule for close to 400 years.

The limited-edition Fundador will be sold exclusively in Spain this month. This year also marks the first time that Fundador will carry the Filipino flag on the bottle and packaging.

The landmark move was also perhaps a nod to the fact that Fundador, Spain’s most renowned brandy company, is now owned by Filipino-owned Emperador Inc., which solidified its position as the world’s largest brandy company following the purchase.

Late last year, listed Emperador Inc. acquired Fundador Pedro Domecq in an “all-cash” deal worth the equivalent of P13.8 billion. This made the Andrew Tan-led liquor company one of the largest foreign investors in Jerez, Spain’s brandy capital.

“We are truly honored to be part of this year’s celebration of the Philippine Independence Day in Spain. We thank Ambassador Salinas for inviting Fundador to this momentous occasion,” says Winston Co, president of Emperador Inc.

TAN says Emperador’s acquisition of Fundador is a perfect fit to the celebration of the success of the Filipino.

Aside from Fundador Pedro Domecq, Emperador acquired Bodegas Fundador, Spain’s largest and oldest brandy cellar, as well as production facilities, aging cellars, vineyards and blending and bottling facilities in Jerez.

Emperador will likewise take over a brandy distillery in Tomelloso, Spain, which has a sufficient aging inventory of brandy and sherry that Emperador officials believe will drive the company’s growth.

Fundador, or “founder” in Spanish, was the first brand to be marketed by Pedro Domecq Loustau in 1874.

Made from Airen and Palomino grapes, Fundador was the first brand marketed as a Brandy de Jerez and is aged in a sherry-soaked Solera.

Today, it is Spain’s largest export brandy and is sold in more than 30 countries.

Fundador’s biggest export market is the Philippines, where it has been the clear leader for more than a century.