NEW YORK, NY – Reigning ISC Distiller of the Year William Grant & Sons today announced that it has acquired Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, the latest innovation from Steven Grasse and his cutting edge brand consultancy Quaker City Mercantile. The acquisition marks the next step in the continuing relationship between the two and represents an opportunity for Art in the Age’s unique portfolio to benefit from the flexibility and infrastructure of William Grant & Sons.
Art in the Age revolves around the philosophy of organic produce and a form of farmer’s market ethos that appeals to consumers’ desire to move away from the corporate and back to a more local community orientated culture. The first product to be launched by Art in the Age is ROOT, a spirit which is incomparable to anything on the market today, and is the first true American Liqueur in nearly 100 years. Already available in Pennsylvania, this rustic spirit has a full, rich smoky flavor, inspired by a Pennsylvania folk recipe, which eventually evolved into Root Beer. The recipe stems from Root Tea, an eighteenth century Native American recipe. Since its limited launch in 2009, ROOT has created a huge buzz both as a sipping drink and as a unique mixology ingredient.
Art in the Age will eventually feature a line of highly differentiated, organically certified spirits, and future releases are already in the works, including SNAP which, like ROOT, was inspired by a historical recipe: Pennsylvania Dutch black strap molasses ginger snap cookies.
The acquisition of Art in the Age by William Grant & Sons marks the next step in the ongoing relationship between Grasse and the independent, family-owned distiller. In the past years William Grant & Sons has worked with Grasse to develop two of its core brands: Grasse was an instrumental player in the successful launch of Sailor Jerry Rum and then Hendrick’s Gin. With ROOT, Grasse and William Grant & Sons hope to replicate the enormous success of these two brands.
“We are delighted to continue our relationship with Steven, a true innovator, and build upon our successful track record together by bringing Art in the Age and its first launch ROOT into our family of pioneering spirits,” said Simon Hunt, Managing Director – North America, William Grant & Sons. “ROOT’s highly unique story, presentation and taste, as well as the company’s past track record for success make this an extremely exciting time for us. We see the potential for ROOT and the additional Art in the Age variants to be game-changing spirits, in the same way as Sailor Jerry Rum and Hendrick’s Gin redefined their categories.”
“I have been working with William Grant & Sons for nearly fifteen years.” said Steven Grasse. “I trust them and I like the fact that they are independent and family-owned. I feel that they understand me as an innovator and are willing to work in partnership to help our products grow and reach their full potential. This relationship will also enable us to continue developing unique, high quality spirits and allow us to continue expanding, without sacrificing any of the qualities that make us what we are.”