Bermudian-based Bacardi has closed a deal that makes the family-owned company the sole owner of the Teeling Whiskey Company.

Founders Jack and Stephen Teeling will remain a part of the Teeling brand, shaping its future and driving growth for the long term as strategic advisers.

Bacardi, the world’s largest privately-held spirits company, acquired a minority stake in the Dublin-based whiskey maker in 2017 and increased its stake to become the majority shareholder in 2022.

“Teeling is the perfect fit for Bacardi,” said Mahesh Madhavan, chief executive officer of Bacardi. “The brand stands for quality, craftsmanship and a fearless approach to the category with fresh ideas and innovative new whiskeys.

“The hundreds of awards it’s received say everything about its success. There is so much long-term potential for the Irish whiskey category globally.”

Since Bacardi first established its relationship with the Teeling Whiskey Company, the Teeling brand has more than doubled in size and is now exported to more than 80 markets around the world.

“My brother and I both know that at Bacardi, Teeling is in the best possible hands,” says Jack Teeling, cofounder of the Teeling Whiskey Company.

“Working closely with the Bacardi team over the last nine years has proven to us that as a family-owned company, Bacardi appreciates the value of everything the Teeling brand stands for and its commitment to raising the bar for Irish whiskey.”

Since the Teeling Whiskey Company was founded in 2012, it’s made its mark on the whiskey world thanks to its unconventional approach to creating handcrafted, small-batch Irish whiskeys.

The Teeling Whiskey Distillery, which opened its doors in 2015 as the first new distillery in Dublin for over 125 years, is a showcase for the craftsmanship behind the brand and has now welcomed over one million visitors.