Lucas Bols
Encyclopedia
Lucas Bols is a privately held Dutch
company in the business of production, distribution, sales and marketing of alcoholic beverages. It is the oldest Dutch company still active and the oldest distillery brand
in the world. Its brand portfolio consists of Bols
, Galliano
, Vaccari
, Pisang Ambon
, Goldstrike and a large group of Dutch genevers and liqueurs. It produces about 3 million cases a year, with yearly revenues exceeding 95 million euro
s.
area. In Old Dutch
, Bols means arrow
. As a result of the Eighty Years War between the Netherlands and Spain
and the Spanish Inquisition
, part of the family fled to Germany
. There is a record of a reverse emigration back to Amsterdam.
and opened their distillery t Lootsje (the little shed). The distillery was located outside the city walls on the post road
to Haarlem
, situated next to a stream. By 1612 the city's walls had expanded to encompass the distillery, and the stream was dug out into a canal
called the Rozengracht because of rose
nurseries
in the area. Around the same time, a new stone building was constructed to house the distillery. The first official mention is in 1634 in Amsterdam town papers, where Pieter Jacobszoon Bols is documented as operator of t Lootsje on the Rozengracht.
Lucas Bols was born in 1652. His era corresponded with the Dutch golden age
, when the Netherlands were a colonial power, and led the world in international commerce. The Dutch East India Company
, of which Lucas was a major shareholder, brought exotic herbs, spices and fruits back to Amsterdam, and these were used to create new liqueurs and genevers. Many of the recipes from that period, such as Blue Curaçao and Crème de cacao, remain popular to this day.
During the 18th century, the Bols family became a very prosperous dynasty, but found itself becoming more and more detached from the day to day operation of the distillery. This lack of family leadership, along with the Continental Blockade
of Napoleon
, severely weakened the company, and when last male heir, Herman Bols, died in 1813, the company was offered for sale.
aimed at competitors.
Van 't Wout succeeded in bringing the distillery back to profitability, but by 1822 a falling out with partner Coenraad Adriaan Temminck caused him to abandon his efforts with the company. In 1842 Van 't Wout wrote a manuscript entitled Distillateurs- en Liqueurbereiders Handboek door een oude patroon van 't Lootsje (English: Distillers and Liqueur makers Handbook by an old patron of "The Little Shed"), which is now in the Bols archives.
.
Former Dutch colonial possessions proved natural markets for the group's products, and a rapid international expansion followed. By the turn of the century, Bols was aggressively marketing its lines, and nearly all European Royal house
s had appointed them Royal Warrant
s. In 1873 Bols won a Fortschritts-Medaille at the Weltausstellung 1873 Wien
and one year later became purveyor to the imperial court in Vienna. Other courts followed such as several kings and queens of the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Greece, Sweden, Denmark, Monaco, and later in more modern times the courts of Ethiopia and Nepal.
After World War I, distilleries were started in France
(1921), Poland
(1922), Switzerland
(1929), Canada
(1932), South Africa
(1933), Belgium
(1934), Argentina
(1935), Spain
(1935) and the United States
(1947). Bols also grew through takeover, including the firms of Hoppe
and Wynand Fockink, its largest competitor since 1679. In 1954, the last of the Moltzer family left the board of directors, and Bols Distilleries became a publicly traded company.
. A strategy of diversification through acquisition was adopted, and in 1977 Italian brands Cynar
and :it:Biancosarti, both aperitif
s, were added, and in 1983 the company added its first non-alcoholic beverages with the acquisition of Terme di Crodo, makers of still and sparkling mineral waters, non-alcoholic bitters, and sodas, including :it:Crodino, and various other fruit flavored beverages. (In a later divestiture, these brands became part of Campari Group
). Through the 1980s, Bols continued to expand its range of non-alcoholic beverages with particular emphasis on the Italian and Swiss markets.
Already a leading producer of alcoholic beverages in its home country, Bols became the dominant producer of genever with its 1986 acquisition of Rotterdam based Henkes. In addition, this allowed Bols to vertically integrate itself, as Henkes had a network of retail liquor stores in the Netherlands. In 1988, Bols acquired Strothmann Brennereien GmbH & Co AG., instantly giving it the largest market share in the Korn Schnapps
market, along with distribution channels and production facilities in Germany.
In 1989, Bols formed a joint venture with Gedistilleerd en Wijngroep Nederland (GWN), the wine and distilled beverages unit of Heineken, forming Bols Benelux B.V. The venture attained a near 50% market share in the Dutch liquor business, due in part to GWN's earlier acquisition of Bokma, another leading genever brand. The joint venture expanded into the rapidly growing wine segment, purchasing 85 percent of Consortium Vinicole de Bordeaux (CVBG), formerly part of Douwe Egberts
. Other smaller French wine houses were quickly added to the portfolio. The company also boosted its operations in Italy in 1990, buying up Ottavio Riccadonna, adding that company's Spumante and Ricadonna brands.
and Bols saw a natural fit for horizontal integration
, and a merger was completed into a new company: Bols Wessanen. From the beginning, integrating the two lines of business was difficult, and so led to profit pressures. The 1995 annual stockholders meeting was contentious and the company decided to focus its growth efforts toward the food sector. In 1997, the company moved to a new headquarters and production facility in Zoetermeer
.
By 1999, it was obvious that the partnership wasn't working. The Bols side of the business was being neglected, and management wanted to unlock its potential for growth and profitability. CVC Capital Partners
, a private equity firm, agreed, and a management buyout
was engineered forming Bols Royal Distilleries. Immediately thereafter, Bols acquired a number of brands from British drinks conglomerate Diagio.
, so it seemed natural to combine the two companies. In August 2000 an agreement was reached, and Remy paid CVC €510 million for Bols, which retained a 9% equity stake in the enlarged group. The merger was perceived as greatly helping both companies, allowing Remy to diversify into products requiring no expensive aging stock, an Eastern European distribution network, and access to Bol's management skills, while giving Bols access to Remy's joint venture worldwide distribution alliance, Maxxium.
The synergies of the combined company were immediately felt. Remy reported a string of strong earnings and profit growth, until a weakening dollar and a temporary drop in sales of Bols Vodka in Poland due to taxation and counterfeiting issues hurt 2003 results. Results in 2004 remained weak, but strong growth was noted of the vodka brand throughout Eastern Europe, and Maxxium committed considerable resources to modernizing the Bols image, including new packaging and refocusing on a youth driven market. Bols was awarded "Best Brand Re-Launch" by the trade publication Drinks International Magazine.
In 2005, Remy struck a complex deal with Central European Distribution Corporation , wherein CEDC took ownership of the Bols production facilities in Poland and licensed various trademarks for use in Poland and Russia in exchange for a 9% equity stake. The deal gave each company access to the other's distribution networks. Remy also received a seat on CEDC's board of directors. CEDC would later buy Bol's Hungarian subsidiary and trademarks.
Capital (75%), together with a management group led by Mr. Huub van Doorne (25%). Mr. Van Doorne was a member of Rémy Cointreau's Management Board, and led the team that revitalized the Bols brand under Remy's aegis. Mezzanine capital
was provided by GSC Group. The new company is named Lucas Bols, B.V. and is headquartered in Amsterdam. Its assets include the production facilities in the Netherlands, along with the brands, Bols, Galliano, Vaccari Sambuca, Pisang Ambon and Damrak Gin, plus leading Dutch Origin spirit brands such as Bokma and Hartevelt genevers and Coebergh.
Distribution will still be mostly done by Maxxium, although the United States will be handled by new partner William Grant & Son, USA., a wholly owned subsidiary of William Grant & Sons
.
.
.
Also documented elsewhere, but not officially mentioned by Bols are blackberry
liqueur, butterscotch
schnapps, green tea
liqueur, sloe gin
liqueur, and sour apple liqueur. Note: Although fruit brandies are not strictly liqueurs, Bols classifies theirs as such, perhaps due to added sweeteners.
is a complex anise
, vanilla and herbal liqueur first produced by Vaccari. It is also confusingly, a brand name for line of other liqueurs from Vaccari, most or all of which are no longer produced. The line included an amaretto, a black sambuca, a white sambuca and a white peach liqueur.
flavor, Coebergh Cherry and Coebergh raspberry. In the Netherlands it is informally referred to as 'bessen',(literally meaning berries), often in a mix with Sprite or 7-up.
schnapps, similar to Goldschläger
. A less alcoholic version with silver flakes called Silverstrike also exists.
and grapefruit
.
, flavored vodkas
, gin
, and genever. As noted above, in Eastern Europe, the Bols brand is produced and marketed by another entity, CEDC.
was Amsterdam's first harbor, and the name pays tribute to the original genever trade.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
company in the business of production, distribution, sales and marketing of alcoholic beverages. It is the oldest Dutch company still active and the oldest distillery brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
in the world. Its brand portfolio consists of Bols
Bols (brand)
Bols is a brand name used by Lucas Bols, a Dutch distiller of alcoholic beverages. The brand line currently consists of vodkas, gins, genevers and liqueurs. Bols has been extant since 1575, and is the oldest distillery brand in the world. The brand is now distributed in 110 countries, and the...
, Galliano
Galliano (drink)
Liquore Galliano L'Autentico, known more commonly as Galliano, is a sweet herbal liqueur, created in 1896 by Italian distiller and brandy producer Arturo Vaccari of Livorno, Tuscany. Vaccari named the spirit after Giuseppe Galliano, an Italian hero of the First Italo–Ethiopian War at the end of...
, Vaccari
Vaccari
Vaccari is a surname and may refer to:*Frédéric Vaccari , French rugby league player*Marco Vaccari , Italian sprinter*Oreste Vaccari , Italian orientalist and linguist*Paolo Vaccari , Italian rugby player...
, Pisang Ambon
Pisang Ambon
Pisang Ambon is a brand of Dutch liqueur produced, distributed and marketed by the House of Lucas Bols.It has a dominating banana flavour, with additional tropical fruit nuances, and a bright green colour. It is based on the recipe of an old Indonesian liqueur...
, Goldstrike and a large group of Dutch genevers and liqueurs. It produces about 3 million cases a year, with yearly revenues exceeding 95 million euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s.
Name and family origin
Bols is an old family name from the Antwerp, BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
area. In Old Dutch
Old Dutch
In linguistics, Old Dutch denotes the forms of West Franconian spoken and written in the Netherlands and present-day northern Belgium during the Early Middle Ages. It is regarded as the primary stage in the development of a separate Dutch language...
, Bols means arrow
Arrow
An arrow is a shafted projectile that is shot with a bow. It predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.An arrow usually consists of a shaft with an arrowhead attached to the front end, with fletchings and a nock at the other.- History:...
. As a result of the Eighty Years War between the Netherlands and Spain
Habsburg Spain
Habsburg Spain refers to the history of Spain over the 16th and 17th centuries , when Spain was ruled by the major branch of the Habsburg dynasty...
and the Spanish Inquisition
Spanish Inquisition
The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition , commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition , was a tribunal established in 1480 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. It was intended to maintain Catholic orthodoxy in their kingdoms, and to replace the Medieval...
, part of the family fled to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. There is a record of a reverse emigration back to Amsterdam.
Beginnings
Although there is a lack of hard historical evidence, it is claimed by the company and generally accepted that in 1575 the Bols family arrived in AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and opened their distillery t Lootsje (the little shed). The distillery was located outside the city walls on the post road
Post riders
Post riders or postriders describes a horse and rider postal delivery system that existed at various times and various places throughout history...
to Haarlem
Haarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
, situated next to a stream. By 1612 the city's walls had expanded to encompass the distillery, and the stream was dug out into a canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
called the Rozengracht because of rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
nurseries
Nursery (horticulture)
A nursery is a place where plants are propagated and grown to usable size. They include retail nurseries which sell to the general public, wholesale nurseries which sell only to businesses such as other nurseries and to commercial gardeners, and private nurseries which supply the needs of...
in the area. Around the same time, a new stone building was constructed to house the distillery. The first official mention is in 1634 in Amsterdam town papers, where Pieter Jacobszoon Bols is documented as operator of t Lootsje on the Rozengracht.
Lucas Bols was born in 1652. His era corresponded with the Dutch golden age
Dutch Golden Age
The Golden Age was a period in Dutch history, roughly spanning the 17th century, in which Dutch trade, science, military and art were among the most acclaimed in the world. The first half is characterised by the Eighty Years' War till 1648...
, when the Netherlands were a colonial power, and led the world in international commerce. The Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
, of which Lucas was a major shareholder, brought exotic herbs, spices and fruits back to Amsterdam, and these were used to create new liqueurs and genevers. Many of the recipes from that period, such as Blue Curaçao and Crème de cacao, remain popular to this day.
During the 18th century, the Bols family became a very prosperous dynasty, but found itself becoming more and more detached from the day to day operation of the distillery. This lack of family leadership, along with the Continental Blockade
Continental System
The Continental System or Continental Blockade was the foreign policy of Napoleon I of France in his struggle against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland during the Napoleonic Wars. It was a large-scale embargo against British trade, which began on November 21, 1806...
of Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
, severely weakened the company, and when last male heir, Herman Bols, died in 1813, the company was offered for sale.
Van 't Wout era
Napoleon's defeat in 1815 sparked buying interest in the company, and Rotterdam financier Gabriël Theodorus van 't Wout acquired the firm with the condition that the company permanently retain the Bols name. New ownership revitalized the company. A price list from 1820 shows over 300 varieties of liqueurs, bitters, elixirs and gins; it is possible that some of these were never produced, and were merely disinformationDisinformation
Disinformation is intentionally false or inaccurate information that is spread deliberately. For this reason, it is synonymous with and sometimes called black propaganda. It is an act of deception and false statements to convince someone of untruth...
aimed at competitors.
Van 't Wout succeeded in bringing the distillery back to profitability, but by 1822 a falling out with partner Coenraad Adriaan Temminck caused him to abandon his efforts with the company. In 1842 Van 't Wout wrote a manuscript entitled Distillateurs- en Liqueurbereiders Handboek door een oude patroon van 't Lootsje (English: Distillers and Liqueur makers Handbook by an old patron of "The Little Shed"), which is now in the Bols archives.
Moltzer family era
In 1868 the firm was again sold, this time to the Moltzer family who greatly expanded the company. In 1889, the rozengracht canal was filled in order to provide a new major thoroughfare for Amsterdam. The old site was abandoned and a modern steam powered distillery was built in nearby Nieuw Vennep. Other distilleries were built in Scheveningen and in Emmerich, just over the Dutch border in Germany. In 1892, the company was reorganized into an LLCLimited liability company
A limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
.
Former Dutch colonial possessions proved natural markets for the group's products, and a rapid international expansion followed. By the turn of the century, Bols was aggressively marketing its lines, and nearly all European Royal house
Royal House
A royal house or royal dynasty consists of at least one, but usually more monarchs who are related to one another, as well as their non-reigning descendants and spouses. Monarchs of the same realm who are not related to one another are usually deemed to belong to different houses, and each house is...
s had appointed them Royal Warrant
Royal Warrant
Royal warrants of appointment have been issued for centuries to those who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the royal family, so lending prestige to the supplier...
s. In 1873 Bols won a Fortschritts-Medaille at the Weltausstellung 1873 Wien
Weltausstellung 1873 Wien
]The Weltausstellung 1873 Wien was the large World exposition was held in 1873 in the Austria–Hungarian capital of Vienna. Its motto was Kultur und Erziehung ....
and one year later became purveyor to the imperial court in Vienna. Other courts followed such as several kings and queens of the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Greece, Sweden, Denmark, Monaco, and later in more modern times the courts of Ethiopia and Nepal.
After World War I, distilleries were started in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(1921), Poland
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
(1922), Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
(1929), Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(1932), South Africa
Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...
(1933), Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
(1934), Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
(1935), Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
(1935) and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(1947). Bols also grew through takeover, including the firms of Hoppe
Hoppe
Hoppe or Hoppé may refer to:German surname Hoppe*Art Hoppe , columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle*Carl Hoppe painter*David Heinrich Hoppe , German botanist*Erik Hoppe , Danish painter...
and Wynand Fockink, its largest competitor since 1679. In 1954, the last of the Moltzer family left the board of directors, and Bols Distilleries became a publicly traded company.
Diversification
Bols continued to expand its reach over the next few decades until it participated in almost every geographic market in the world. Management was quick to realize, however, that societal trends away from alcohol consumption, particularly spirits, threatened the company. Genever was still a large component of Bol's revenues, and this was a particularly difficult market to grow outside of its native Netherlands, as global drinkers tended to prefer the British "dry" style of ginGin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
. A strategy of diversification through acquisition was adopted, and in 1977 Italian brands Cynar
Cynar
Cynar is an Italian bitter apéritif liqueur made from 13 herbs and plants. Predominant amongst these is the artichoke , from which the drink derives its name...
and :it:Biancosarti, both aperitif
Aperitif
Apéritifs and digestifs are alcoholic drinks that are normally served with meals.-Apéritifs:An apéritif is usually served before a meal to stimulate the appetite. This contrasts with digestifs, which are served after a meal for the purpose of aiding digestion...
s, were added, and in 1983 the company added its first non-alcoholic beverages with the acquisition of Terme di Crodo, makers of still and sparkling mineral waters, non-alcoholic bitters, and sodas, including :it:Crodino, and various other fruit flavored beverages. (In a later divestiture, these brands became part of Campari Group
Campari Group
Gruppo Campari is an Italian-based multinational producer of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The group holds a portfolio of over 40 brands marketed and distributed in more than 190 countries...
). Through the 1980s, Bols continued to expand its range of non-alcoholic beverages with particular emphasis on the Italian and Swiss markets.
Already a leading producer of alcoholic beverages in its home country, Bols became the dominant producer of genever with its 1986 acquisition of Rotterdam based Henkes. In addition, this allowed Bols to vertically integrate itself, as Henkes had a network of retail liquor stores in the Netherlands. In 1988, Bols acquired Strothmann Brennereien GmbH & Co AG., instantly giving it the largest market share in the Korn Schnapps
Korn (liquor)
Korn is a German colorless spirit that is usually made from fermented rye but may also be made from corn, barley, or wheat. Korn differs from vodka in that it is less rigorously filtered, which leaves more of the cereal taste in the finished spirit.Korn is the cheapest kind of spirit available in...
market, along with distribution channels and production facilities in Germany.
In 1989, Bols formed a joint venture with Gedistilleerd en Wijngroep Nederland (GWN), the wine and distilled beverages unit of Heineken, forming Bols Benelux B.V. The venture attained a near 50% market share in the Dutch liquor business, due in part to GWN's earlier acquisition of Bokma, another leading genever brand. The joint venture expanded into the rapidly growing wine segment, purchasing 85 percent of Consortium Vinicole de Bordeaux (CVBG), formerly part of Douwe Egberts
Douwe Egberts
Douwe Egberts is a Dutch corporation that processes and trades coffee, tea, and other groceries. Its full name is Douwe Egberts Koninklijke Tabaksfabriek-Koffiebranderijen-Theehandel NV, which translates as "Douwe Egberts Royal Tobacco Factory - Coffee Roasters - Tea Traders, Plc."...
. Other smaller French wine houses were quickly added to the portfolio. The company also boosted its operations in Italy in 1990, buying up Ottavio Riccadonna, adding that company's Spumante and Ricadonna brands.
Wessanen merger
By 1993, competition and consolidation in the industry had become cutthroat. Heineken decided to retrench to its beer business, and sold off its stake in the joint venture for 58.6 million guilders. Dutch foods giant Royal WessanenRoyal Wessanen
Royal Wessanen N.V. is a multinational food company, founded and headquartered in the Netherlands. It has operations in Europe and North America. Worldwide it had more than 2,100 employees at the end of 2009, a year in which it reported a revenue of €700 million...
and Bols saw a natural fit for horizontal integration
Horizontal integration
In microeconomics and strategic management, the term horizontal integration describes a type of ownership and control. It is a strategy used by a business or corporation that seeks to sell a type of product in numerous markets...
, and a merger was completed into a new company: Bols Wessanen. From the beginning, integrating the two lines of business was difficult, and so led to profit pressures. The 1995 annual stockholders meeting was contentious and the company decided to focus its growth efforts toward the food sector. In 1997, the company moved to a new headquarters and production facility in Zoetermeer
Zoetermeer
Zoetermeer is a city in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 37.06 km² . A small village until the late 1960s, it had 6,392 inhabitants in 1950...
.
By 1999, it was obvious that the partnership wasn't working. The Bols side of the business was being neglected, and management wanted to unlock its potential for growth and profitability. CVC Capital Partners
CVC Capital Partners
CVC Capital Partners is one of the top five largest private equity firms globally with approximately US$46 billion in funds focused on management buyouts...
, a private equity firm, agreed, and a management buyout
Management buyout
A management buyout is a form of acquisition where a company's existing managers acquire a large part or all of the company.- Overview :Management buyouts are similar in all major legal aspects to any other acquisition of a company...
was engineered forming Bols Royal Distilleries. Immediately thereafter, Bols acquired a number of brands from British drinks conglomerate Diagio.
Acquired by Remy Cointreau
Almost immediately after the buyout, it became clear that Bols did not have the scale to effectively compete in the rapidly consolidating drinks industry. CVC Capital had an existing relationship with Remy CointreauRémy Cointreau
Rémy Cointreau is a French alcohol manufacturer that produces cognac, liqueurs, spirits and champagne. The company is a result of a 1990-1991 merger between Rémy Martin and Cointreau.- Brands :...
, so it seemed natural to combine the two companies. In August 2000 an agreement was reached, and Remy paid CVC €510 million for Bols, which retained a 9% equity stake in the enlarged group. The merger was perceived as greatly helping both companies, allowing Remy to diversify into products requiring no expensive aging stock, an Eastern European distribution network, and access to Bol's management skills, while giving Bols access to Remy's joint venture worldwide distribution alliance, Maxxium.
The synergies of the combined company were immediately felt. Remy reported a string of strong earnings and profit growth, until a weakening dollar and a temporary drop in sales of Bols Vodka in Poland due to taxation and counterfeiting issues hurt 2003 results. Results in 2004 remained weak, but strong growth was noted of the vodka brand throughout Eastern Europe, and Maxxium committed considerable resources to modernizing the Bols image, including new packaging and refocusing on a youth driven market. Bols was awarded "Best Brand Re-Launch" by the trade publication Drinks International Magazine.
In 2005, Remy struck a complex deal with Central European Distribution Corporation , wherein CEDC took ownership of the Bols production facilities in Poland and licensed various trademarks for use in Poland and Russia in exchange for a 9% equity stake. The deal gave each company access to the other's distribution networks. Remy also received a seat on CEDC's board of directors. CEDC would later buy Bol's Hungarian subsidiary and trademarks.
Management buyout
In 2005, Remy decided to focus on its premium brands, and on December 8, it announced it would sell the Bols brand to concentrate on its core drinks. On March 16, 2006, Remy announced the sale of Bols to European investment fund ABN AMROABN AMRO
ABN AMRO Bank N.V. is a Dutch state-owned bank with headquarters in Amsterdam. It was re-established, in its current form, in 2009 following the acquisition and break up of ABN AMRO Group by a banking consortium consisting of Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Santander and Fortis...
Capital (75%), together with a management group led by Mr. Huub van Doorne (25%). Mr. Van Doorne was a member of Rémy Cointreau's Management Board, and led the team that revitalized the Bols brand under Remy's aegis. Mezzanine capital
Mezzanine capital
Mezzanine capital, in finance, refers to a subordinated debt or preferred equity instrument that represents a claim on a company's assets which is senior only to that of the common shares...
was provided by GSC Group. The new company is named Lucas Bols, B.V. and is headquartered in Amsterdam. Its assets include the production facilities in the Netherlands, along with the brands, Bols, Galliano, Vaccari Sambuca, Pisang Ambon and Damrak Gin, plus leading Dutch Origin spirit brands such as Bokma and Hartevelt genevers and Coebergh.
Distribution will still be mostly done by Maxxium, although the United States will be handled by new partner William Grant & Son, USA., a wholly owned subsidiary of William Grant & Sons
William Grant & Sons
William Grant & Sons Ltd. is an independent, family-owned Scottish company which distills Scotch whisky and other selected categories of spirits. It was established in 1887 by William Grant, and is now run by the descendants of the founder. It is the largest of the handful of Scotch whisky...
.
Marketing
Bols has greatly increased its marketing presence under the leadership of Mr. Van Doorne, first as part of Remy Cointreau, and now as an independent company. The vision is to drive the Bols brands growth and profitability through the "on-trade" market, meaning in bars and restaurants. To do this, Bols is positioning itself as a leader to bar owners and their staff in support, innovation and new product development. Bols wants its ingredients to be thought of as an irreplaceable component in mixology and cocktail culture, as it capitalizes on evolving trends in the use of liqueurs. To this end, Bols actively courts bar owners, bartenders and consumers through a marketing strategy of trade associations, campaigns, sponsorships, and bartending academies and competitions.Museum
Bols has constructed a "brand experience" in Amsterdam, which includes not only a traditional museum of the history of the brand, its manufacturing methods and ingredients, but also various interactive exhibits which involve the visitor and engage the senses. Visitors can even practice flair bartendingFlair bartending
Flair bartending is the practice of bartenders entertaining guests, clientele or audiences with the manipulation of bar tools and liquor bottles in tricky, dazzling ways. Used occasionally in cocktail bars, the action requires skills commonly associated with jugglers...
.
Bartending Academy
Bartenders themselves are a top priority for Bols and the Bols bartending academy offers accredited courses in bartending, flair bartending, mixology (the science behind bartending) and hospitality managementHospitality management studies
Hospitality management is the academic study of the hospitality industry. A degree in Hospitality management is often conferred from either a university college dedicated to the studies of hospitality management or a business school with a department in hospitality management studies...
.
Products
Bols produces a number of different brands. It is common in the drinks industry for companies to buy and sell brands among themselves, as business decisions are made about what market space a particular company wants to occupy. With constant consolidation and divestiture in the industry, a company's brand portfolio is usually in a state of flux. Bols owns brands that it has historically produced, as well as ones acquired in various stages of its evolution, either directly or through joint ventures or other partnerships.Bols branded
Bols has long produced liqueurs it marketed under its own eponymous brand, going back in time to the very first products it made. Currently, it produces a line of 38 different flavors, sold in the new teardrop shaped bottle. These include:- AdvocaatAdvocaatAdvocaat is a rich and creamy liqueur made from eggs, sugar and brandy. It has a smooth, custard-like flavor and is similar to eggnog. In English-speaking countries it generally contains 15% alcohol , but in Continental Europe the typical alcohol content differs from country to country and is...
, an egg based liqueur - AmarettoAmarettoAmaretto is an Italian sweet almond-flavoured liqueur. It is made from a base of apricot or almond pits, sometimes both.-Etymology:The name is a diminutive of the Italian amaro, meaning "bitter," indicating the distinctive flavour lent by the mandorla amara--the bitter almond or the drupe kernel...
, an almondAlmondThe almond , is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia. Almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree...
flavored liqueur made from apricotApricotThe apricot, Prunus armeniaca, is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation.- Description :...
pits - ApricotApricotThe apricot, Prunus armeniaca, is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation.- Description :...
brandyBrandyBrandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink... - Bitter orangeBitter orangeThe name "bitter orange", also known as Seville orange, sour orange, bigarade orange, and marmalade orange, refers to a citrus tree and its fruit. Many varieties of bitter orange are used for their essential oil, which is used in perfume and as a flavoring...
, a lighter orange colored liqueur made from Spanish oranges and bitter herbs. - BlueberryBlueberryBlueberries are flowering plants of the genus Vaccinium with dark-blue berries and are perennial...
, liqueur. - Blue CuraçaoCuraçao liqueurCuraçao is a liqueur flavoured with the dried peel of the laraha citrus fruit, grown on the island of Curaçao. A non-native plant similar to an orange, the laraha developed from the sweet Valencia orange transplanted by Spanish explorers. The nutrient-poor soil and arid climate of Curaçao proved...
, a deep blue, orange flavored liqueur made from a variety of orange types and herbs. This is Bols' signature product, and is commonly referred to as "Blue Bols". - CherryCherryThe cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy stone fruit. The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species, including especially cultivars of the wild cherry, Prunus avium....
brandy. The cherry pit is also used, imparting a slight almond flavor. - CoconutCoconutThe coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
liqueur, with rumRumRum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
flavoring. - CoffeeCoffeeCoffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
liqueur. - Crème de BananeCreme de BananeCrème de banane is a yellow, transparent, sweet, banana flavored liqueur with roughly 17-25% ABV.-Usage:Crème de banane is primarily used in alcoholic drinks...
, with vanilla, almond, herbs, and spices. - Crème de cacao brown.
- Crème de cacao white.
- Crème de CassisCrème de CassisCrème de cassis is a sweet, dark red liqueur that is made from blackcurrants.Several cocktails are made with crème de cassis, including the very popular wine cocktail, kir.-Origin and production:...
, a blackcurrantBlackcurrantBlackcurrant, Ribes nigrum, is a species of Ribes berry native to central and northern Europe and northern Asia, and is a perennial....
flavored liqueur. - DryDrynessDryness is a property of alcoholic beverages that describes the lack of a sweet taste. This may be due to a lack of sugars, the presence of some other taste that masks sweetness, or an underabundance of simple carbohydrates that can be converted to sugar by enzymes in the mouth...
Orange CuraçaoCuraçao liqueurCuraçao is a liqueur flavoured with the dried peel of the laraha citrus fruit, grown on the island of Curaçao. A non-native plant similar to an orange, the laraha developed from the sweet Valencia orange transplanted by Spanish explorers. The nutrient-poor soil and arid climate of Curaçao proved...
, a dark orange colored liqueur made from orange peels and bitter herbs. - Grune BananesBananaBanana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
liqueur. - KirschKirschwasserKirschwasser is a clear, colorless fruit brandy traditionally made from double distillation of morello cherries, a dark-colored cultivar of the sour cherry. However, it is now also made from other kinds of cherries. The cherries are fermented complete...
liqueur, a clear SchwarzwalderBlack ForestThe Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
cherry brandy with added sweetener. - KiwiKiwifruitThe kiwifruit, often shortened to kiwi in many parts of the world, is the edible berry of a cultivar group of the woody vine Actinidia deliciosa and hybrids between this and other species in the genus Actinidia....
liqueur. - LycheeLycheeThe lychee is the sole member of the genus Litchi in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae. It is a tropical and subtropical fruit tree native to Southern China and Southeast Asia, and now cultivated in many parts of the world...
liqueur. - MaraschinoMaraschinoMaraschino .The liqueur's distinctive flavor comes from the Marasca cherries, and the crushed cherry pits lend an almond-like flavor to Maraschino...
, a clear Marasca cherryMarasca cherryThe Marasca cherry is a type of sour Morello cherry known only from cultivation. The Marasca cherry as grown in Mediterranean Croatia The Marasca cherry (Prunus cerasus var. marasca) is a type of sour Morello cherry known only from cultivation. The Marasca cherry as grown in Mediterranean...
flavored liqueur Bols makes with Kirsch and a selection of herbs. - MangoMangoThe mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
liqueur. - MelonHoneydew (melon)Honeydew is a cultivar group of the muskmelon, Cucumis melo Inodorus group, which includes crenshaw, casaba, Persian, winter, and other mixed melons.-Characteristics:...
liqueur. - Parfait AmourParfait d'AmourParfait d'Amour is a liqueur. Purple in colour, it is often used in cocktails primarily for its colour, and is generally created from a Curaçao liqueur base....
, a purple colored Rose petalRose oilRose oil, meaning either rose otto or rose absolute, is the essential oil extracted from the petals of various types of rose...
and orange liqueur, with a hint of vanilla. Another of Bols' centuries old recipes. - Passion fruit liqueur.
- PeachPeachThe peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
liqueur. - PeppermintPeppermintPeppermint is a hybrid mint, a cross between the watermint and spearmint . The plant, indigenous to Europe, is now widespread in cultivation throughout all regions of the world...
Green and White. Bols' Crème de MentheCrème de mentheCrème de menthe is a sweet, mint-flavored alcoholic beverage. Its flavor is primarily derived from Corsican mint. It is available commercially in a colorless and a green version...
products. - PomegranatePomegranateThe pomegranate , Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing between five and eight meters tall.Native to the area of modern day Iran, the pomegranate has been cultivated in the Caucasus since ancient times. From there it spread to Asian areas such as the Caucasus as...
liqueur. - Prinzenkirsch, a sweeter, juicier Kirsch.
- RaspberryRaspberryThe raspberry or hindberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus Rubus, most of which are in the subgenus Idaeobatus; the name also applies to these plants themselves...
(Framboise) liqueur. - Red OrangeBlood orangeThe blood orange is a variety of orange with crimson, blood-colored flesh. The fruit is smaller than an average orange; its skin is usually pitted, but can be smooth. The distinctive dark flesh color is due to the presence of anthocyanins, a family of pigments common to many flowers and fruit, but...
liqueur. A bright red, sweet blend of citrus and tropical fruit such as passion fruit and peach. - StrawberryStrawberryFragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
(fraise) liqueur. - Triple secTriple secTriple sec, originally Curaçao triple sec, is a variety of Curaçao liqueur, an orange-flavoured liqueur made from the dried peels of bitter and sweet orange....
CuraçaoCuraçao liqueurCuraçao is a liqueur flavoured with the dried peel of the laraha citrus fruit, grown on the island of Curaçao. A non-native plant similar to an orange, the laraha developed from the sweet Valencia orange transplanted by Spanish explorers. The nutrient-poor soil and arid climate of Curaçao proved...
, a clear, orange liqueur. - Triple SecTriple secTriple sec, originally Curaçao triple sec, is a variety of Curaçao liqueur, an orange-flavoured liqueur made from the dried peels of bitter and sweet orange....
& LimeLime (fruit)Lime is a term referring to a number of different citrus fruits, both species and hybrids, which are typically round, green to yellow in color, 3–6 cm in diameter, and containing sour and acidic pulp. Limes are a good source of vitamin C. Limes are often used to accent the flavors of foods and...
liqueur. A fusion of lime extract and Triple Sec. - VanillaVanillaVanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla, primarily from the Mexican species, Flat-leaved Vanilla . The word vanilla derives from the Spanish word "", little pod...
liqueur.
Also documented elsewhere, but not officially mentioned by Bols are blackberry
Blackberry
The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by any of several species in the Rubus genus of the Rosaceae family. The fruit is not a true berry; botanically it is termed an aggregate fruit, composed of small drupelets. The plants typically have biennial canes and perennial roots. Blackberries and...
liqueur, butterscotch
Butterscotch
Butterscotch is a type of confectionery whose primary ingredients are brown sugar and butter, although other ingredients such as corn syrup, cream, vanilla, and salt are part of some recipes...
schnapps, green tea
Green tea
Green tea is made solely from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. It has recently become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally...
liqueur, sloe gin
Sloe gin
Sloe gin is a red liqueur flavoured with sloe berries, which are a small fruit relative of the plum. Sloe gin has an alcohol content between 15 and 30 percent by volume. The traditional way of making sloe gin is to infuse gin with the berries. Sugar is required to ensure the sloe juices are...
liqueur, and sour apple liqueur. Note: Although fruit brandies are not strictly liqueurs, Bols classifies theirs as such, perhaps due to added sweeteners.
Galliano
GallianoGalliano (drink)
Liquore Galliano L'Autentico, known more commonly as Galliano, is a sweet herbal liqueur, created in 1896 by Italian distiller and brandy producer Arturo Vaccari of Livorno, Tuscany. Vaccari named the spirit after Giuseppe Galliano, an Italian hero of the First Italo–Ethiopian War at the end of...
is a complex anise
Anise
Anise , Pimpinella anisum, also called aniseed, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia. Its flavor resembles that of liquorice, fennel, and tarragon.- Biology :...
, vanilla and herbal liqueur first produced by Vaccari. It is also confusingly, a brand name for line of other liqueurs from Vaccari, most or all of which are no longer produced. The line included an amaretto, a black sambuca, a white sambuca and a white peach liqueur.
Coebergh
Coebergh is a Dutch only brand which is the number one liqueur and the biggest drinks brand for women in the Netherlands. It is produced in four styles: Coebergh Classic has a blackcurrant/blackberry flavor, Coebergh Red has a cranberryCranberry
Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus Oxycoccus of the genus Vaccinium. In some methods of classification, Oxycoccus is regarded as a genus in its own right...
flavor, Coebergh Cherry and Coebergh raspberry. In the Netherlands it is informally referred to as 'bessen',(literally meaning berries), often in a mix with Sprite or 7-up.
Goldstrike
A Dutch-only cinnamonCinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods...
schnapps, similar to Goldschläger
Goldschläger
Goldschläger is a Swiss cinnamon schnapps , a liqueur with very thin, yet visible flakes of gold leaf floating in it...
. A less alcoholic version with silver flakes called Silverstrike also exists.
Konitiki
Kontiki is a gin-based liqueur flavored with lemonLemon
The lemon is both a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
and grapefruit
Grapefruit
The grapefruit , is a subtropical citrus tree known for its sour fruit, an 18th-century hybrid first bred in Barbados. When found, it was named the "forbidden fruit"; it has also been misidentified with the pomelo or shaddock , one of the parents of this hybrid, the other being sweet orange The...
.
Bols branded
Bols has a line of internationally shipped vodkaVodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
, flavored vodkas
Vodka infusion
A vodka infusion is a flavored liquor that is created when vodka is flavored with one or more flavorants. Vodka infusions may be homemade or they may be bought in liquor stores....
, gin
Gin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
, and genever. As noted above, in Eastern Europe, the Bols brand is produced and marketed by another entity, CEDC.
Damrak Gin
Damrak is a luxury, international-style gin. It has been well reviewed in independent drinks competitions. DamrakDamrak
The Damrak is a partially filled in canal at the centre of Amsterdam, between Amsterdam Centraal railway station and Dam Square, running north-south. It is the main street where people arriving at the station enter the centre of Amsterdam. Also it is one of the two GVB tram routes from the station...
was Amsterdam's first harbor, and the name pays tribute to the original genever trade.