Cerbaco
Cerbaco Distribution is an Australian wholesale importer and distributor of premium spirits, aperitifs, and liqueurs, serving licensed on-premise and off-premise venues across Australia with a curated portfolio of over 100 artisanal brands via field sales and an online ordering portal.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersPort Melbourne, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Cerbaco does
Cerbaco Distribution Pty Ltd is a wholesale importer and distributor of premium spirits, aperitifs, and liqueurs, headquartered in Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in the early 1980s by Gabriel Chaise, the company represents over 100 premium brands and offers more than 1,000 products sourced from artisanal producers in Australia and internationally, with a particular emphasis on French heritage categories such as Armagnac, Cognac, and Calvados, alongside Irish whiskey, tequila, gin, and vermouth. The company supplies licensed on-premise and off-premise venues across Australia exclusively through B2B wholesale channels, with no direct-to-consumer offering.
The business operates a structured ordering and account management system via the Pepperi online portal, supplemented by a field sales team deployed in each Australian state. Customers — bars, restaurants, hotels, cocktail venues, bottle shops, and independent retailers — must hold a valid liquor licence and go through an approval process before accessing the portal. First orders typically require upfront payment, with Net 30 credit terms available upon approval, and free-freight thresholds of $450 (ex. GST) for Melbourne metro and $900 (ex. GST) for other Australian deliveries. Pricing is quote-based via published price lists subject to change, generating transactional wholesale revenue rather than subscriptions or recurring contracts.
Cerbaco remains an independent, family-driven business, with founder Gabriel Chaise and partner Valérie Blayac actively involved in operations and a leadership transition to the next generation underway. The company has built longevity by curating a boutique portfolio of family-owned producers (Darroze, Delord, Christian Drouin, François Voyer, Michel Couvreur, Dolin, Ballykeefe, La Cofradía, Nosferatu) over four decades, leveraging deep producer relationships and a knowledgeable field sales team rather than competing on volume or price.
Cerbaco firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cerbaco
- Legal name
- Cerbaco Distribution Pty Ltd
- Website
- https://cerbaco.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cerbaco Distribution is an Australian wholesale importer and distributor of premium spirits, aperitifs, and liqueurs, serving licensed on-premise and off-premise venues across Australia with a curated portfolio of over 100 artisanal brands via field sales and an online ordering portal.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cerbaco industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Spirits Distribution
- NAICS
- Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (424820), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Alcohol Importers & Brand Owners (Wholesale) (CRAOAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA), Alcoholic Beverage Wholesale (Beer, Wine, Spirits) (AFAIAGAA)
Keywords
Where Cerbaco is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Port Melbourne
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cerbaco business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Wholesale Spirit Distribution: Cerbaco generates revenue by importing and distributing premium spirits, aperitifs, and liqueurs to licensed wholesale customers including bars, restaurants, and retailers across Australia. They represent over 100 premium brands and offer more than 1000 products.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Wholesale B2B pricing for licensed customers |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Cerbaco product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cerbaco is a wholesale importer and distributor of premium spirits, aperitifs, and liqueurs, supplying more than 100 premium brands and over 1,000 products to licensed on-premise and off-premise venues across Australia. The company sources artisanal, family-owned producers internationally and domestically, and operates a B2B ordering platform (Pepperi) for approved wholesale customers holding valid liquor licences.
Product overview
Cerbaco Distribution is a wholesale importer and distributor of fine spirits, aperitifs, and liqueurs operating from Melbourne, Australia for over 40 years. The company distributes a portfolio of over 100 premium brands from artisanal producers worldwide, including French classics (Armagnac, Cognac, Calvados from houses like Christian Drouin and François Voyer), Irish whiskey (Ballykeefe), Mexican tequila (La Cofradía), French vermouth (Dolin), and Australian gin (Nosferatu). Cerbaco operates a B2B online ordering portal (Pepperi-based) for wholesale customers with valid liquor licences, offering over 1000 products to on-premise and off-premise venues across Australia. The company serves as the exclusive Australian distributor connecting international craft spirit producers with Australian venues and retailers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cerbaco Premium Spirits Distribution Portfolio Wholesale distribution of more than 100 premium spirit brands and over 1,000 products, including artisanal French spirits (Armagnac, Cognac, Calvados), Irish whiskey, tequila, vermouth, gin, rum, aperitifs, and liqueurs, supplied to licensed on-premise and off-premise venues across Australia.
- Cerbaco B2B Online Ordering Portal B2B online ordering platform powered by Pepperi that enables approved wholesale customers with valid liquor licences to place orders, view order history, and manage accounts with Cerbaco.
Companies that use Cerbaco
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Cerbaco technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Cerbaco partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- DarrozecoreDarroze is a prestigious Armagnac producer represented by Cerbaco in Australia. As one of the heritage producers introduced to the Australian market by founder Gabriel Chaise, Darroze represents the quality and authenticity that defines Cerbaco's portfolio—family-owned houses with centuries of tradition.
- DelordcoreDelord is a distinguished Armagnac house represented by Cerbaco in Australia. Like other producers in Cerbaco's portfolio, Delord was chosen for its craftsmanship, authenticity, and family-owned values rather than commercial potential alone.
- Christian DrouincoreChristian Drouin is a legendary Calvados distillery from Normandy, France. Cerbaco has represented this producer for many years, facilitating exclusive cask selections for Australian venues such as Santé Cocktail Bar's private bottling partnership.
- François VoyercoreFrançois Voyer is a prestigious Cognac producer in the portfolio, representing the quality and heritage that Cerbaco has championed in Australia for over 40 years.
- Michel CouvreurcoreMichel Couvreur is a Burgundy-based producer known for their unique approach to aging spirits, represented by Cerbaco in Australia as part of their curated portfolio of artisanal producers.
- DolincoreDolin is a family-run vermouth house from Chambéry, France. Cerbaco has partnered with Dolin for 18 years, beginning when Melbourne's Black Pearl bar requested the range. The partnership has grown into an enduring relationship built on trust and shared appreciation for quality vermouth.
- Ballykeefe DistillerycoreBallykeefe is Ireland's first modern on-farm distillery located in Kilkenny. They are a certified member of Ireland's Origin Green sustainability program. Cerbaco brings Ballykeefe's field-to-glass whiskey range to Australia, including Single Pot Still and Single Malt Irish whiskeys.
- La CofradíacoreLa Cofradía is a family-owned tequila distillery founded in 1971, located at the foot of the Tequila Volcano in Jalisco, Mexico. They oversee 671 hectares of Agave Tequilana Weber fields. Cerbaco is their exclusive Australian distribution partner, introducing their complete portfolio including Talavera ceramic bottles, Gran Cofradía, and La Cava del Villano ranges.
- Nosferatu DistillerycoreNosferatu Distillery is a Brisbane-based Australian gin producer founded by Rory Smith. Known for their cinematic-inspired gins including Blood Orange, Mandrake Cucumber & Mint, Giselle Pavlova, and Bunyip Sticky Gin. Cerbaco distributes their distinctive portfolio of premium craft gins across Australia.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Cerbaco competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Speciality Brands: UK-based premium spirits and wine specialist distributor to on-trade accounts. Highly comparable curated-portfolio, specialist-distributor model serving premium cocktail venues, though operating in the UK rather than Australia.
Emerging players
- Proof & Company: Asia-Pacific-focused premium spirits distribution and bar consultancy group with specialist on-premise expertise. Comparable curated-distribution model and on-premise focus, though geographically weighted to Southeast Asia rather than Australia.
Broad incumbents
- Treasury Wine Estates: Australia's largest premium wine company and a major distributor through both on- and off-premise channels. Comparable as a wholesale distributor to Australian licensed venues, though portfolio-weighted to wine rather than Cerbaco's spirits focus.
- Brown-Forman Australia: Australian arm of the US-based premium spirits owner of Jack Daniel's, Woodford Reserve and other brown spirits. Directly comparable wholesale motion into Australian on-premise accounts, with overlapping on-trade relationships and category (whisky/American spirits) overlap with parts of Cerbaco's portfolio.
- Accolade Wines: One of Australia's largest wine companies, distributing Hardys, Banrock Station and other brands to Australian retail and hospitality. Comparable wholesale distribution model across licensed Australian customers, with broader wine portfolio and fewer boutique exclusives.
- Diageo Australia: Australian operation of the world's largest spirits company, distributing Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Ketel One and others to licensed venues. Comparable B2B wholesale motion and on-premise account coverage, but with mass-market brand emphasis rather than boutique curation.
- Lion (Lion Beer Australia / Lion Spirits): Major Australian beverage company distributing beer, wine, and spirits (including White Rabbit and Four Pillars) to on-premise and off-premise venues. Comparable B2B wholesale coverage of Australian licensed customers but with mass-market and craft beer focus versus Cerbaco's imported artisanal spirits positioning.
- Pernod Ricard Australia: Australian arm of one of the world's largest premium spirits groups. Directly comparable as a spirits distributor to Australian on- and off-premise venues, but at vastly greater scale and with a portfolio skewed toward global megabrands rather than Cerbaco's artisanal focus.
Direct peers
- Think Spirits: Australian independent spirits distributor representing a curated portfolio of imported brands to on- and off-premise accounts. Closest comparable peer in terms of business model, customer base, and reliance on imported boutique spirits.
- Vanguard Luxury Brands: Australia-based importer and distributor of premium and luxury wine and spirits to the Australian on-premise. Highly comparable as a specialist independent distributor serving the same licensed venue customer base with an imported portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cerbaco social profiles
Digital presenceCerbaco financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cerbaco leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Cerbaco funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cerbaco M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cerbaco
What does Cerbaco do?
Cerbaco is a wholesale importer and distributor of premium spirits, aperitifs, and liqueurs, supplying more than 100 premium brands and over 1,000 products to licensed on-premise and off-premise venues across Australia. The company sources artisanal, family-owned producers internationally and domestically, and operates a B2B ordering platform (Pepperi) for approved wholesale customers holding valid liquor licences.
Is Cerbaco a public or private company?
Cerbaco is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Cerbaco founded?
Cerbaco was founded in 1980. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cerbaco based?
Cerbaco is headquartered in Port Melbourne, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Cerbaco make money?
One revenue line is on record: wholesale Spirit Distribution.
Who are Cerbaco's main competitors?
Speciality Brands is listed as a regional player. Proof & Company is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Treasury Wine Estates, Brown-Forman Australia, Accolade Wines, Diageo Australia, Lion (Lion Beer Australia / Lion Spirits) and Pernod Ricard Australia. Direct peers are Think Spirits and Vanguard Luxury Brands.
Does Cerbaco have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cerbaco.
What industry is Cerbaco in?
Cerbaco's product category is Spirits Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAOAIAB, Alcohol Importers & Brand Owners (Wholesale), with a secondary code of CRAOAIAA, Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution. Its NAICS code is 424820 and its SIC code is 5180.