Amber Latvijas balzams

What Amber Latvijas balzams does

AS Amber Latvijas balzams is the leading producer of alcoholic beverages in the Baltic States, headquartered in Riga, Latvia, with operating roots dating to 1900 and a flagship brand heritage reaching back to Riga Black Balsam in 1752. The company operates two production facilities in Riga — a distillery for strong alcohol beverages and sparkling wines, and a light alcoholic beverages production plant — producing over 100 product names across the Rakı, vodka, liqueur, gin, brandy, sparkling wine, cider, wine, whiskey, non-alcoholic, and RTD cocktail categories. Production uses traditional methods with natural ingredients, including over 130 tons of botanicals and herbal extracts annually, and signature products like Cross Keys Gin and Riga Black Balsam are bottled in ceramic/clay bottles that influence maturation. The company is ISO 9001 certified and is among the largest taxpayers in Latvia at approximately EUR 72 million in annual tax contributions.

The company operates a multi-stream business model: owned-brand sales (Riga Black Balsam, Stoli, Moskovskaya, elit, Cross Keys Gin, Riga Sparkling Wine, Apple Garden, and others), licensed production of SPI Group-owned brands (Stoli and Moskovskaya), contract manufacturing for 18+ private label projects across Norway, China, UK, Lithuania, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and USA, and third-party warehousing and logistics services. Distribution is primarily B2B through wholesalers and importers into 175+ markets, with top 10 export markets including USA, Lithuania, Canada, Greece, Italy, Israel, Estonia, UK, Mexico, and Chile. A factory retail store and priced factory tours (EUR 25 per person) provide direct-to-consumer channels. Marketing is driven by the company website, international cocktail competitions such as the Riga Black Balsam Global Cocktail Masters Cup, and a dedicated investor relations site. The company is controlled by Yuri Schefler through Luxembourg-domiciled Amber Beverage Group Holding S.ar.l., which holds 89.99% of voting capital (6,746,460 shares), with subsidiary Amber Distribution Latvia handling domestic distribution.

FY2023 unaudited revenue was EUR 97.9 million (down 9.4% from FY2022), with EBITDA of EUR 6.58 million and sales volume of 4.6 million 9-liter cases (down 18.4% YoY). The decline was attributed to global wholesale working capital reductions and rebranding decisions by the company's largest clients affecting order volume. Management is led by Chairman of the Board Intars Geidāns and Chief Liqueur Master Jānis Mažis, who has maintained the Riga Black Balsam recipe since 1974.

Name

Amber Latvijas balzams

Legal name

AS Amber Latvijas balzams

Website

https://amberlb.lv

Company type

Private

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

AS Amber Latvijas balzams is the leading producer of alcoholic beverages in the Baltic States, based in Riga, Latvia. It produces over 100 branded products including Riga Black Balsam, Stoli, and Moskovskaya, and manufactures licensed, private label, and own brands distributed across 175+ markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alcoholic Beverages Manufacturing

NAICS

Beverage Manufacturing (3121), Distilleries (31214), Wineries (312130), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Alcohol Importers & Brand Owners (Wholesale) (CRAOAIAB), Beverage Import/Export & Cross-Border Wholesale (AFAIAGAL)

Keywords

• Alcoholic beverages
• Spirits production
• Vodka manufacturing
• Herbal liqueurs
• Private label manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Riga

HQ country

Latvia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Alcoholic Beverage Sales: Production and sale of owned-brand alcoholic beverages including vodkas, liqueurs, gins, sparkling wines, ciders, and spirits. Products sold in 175 countries worldwide under brands such as Riga Black Balsam, Stoli, Moskovskaya, Cross Keys Gin.
2. Private Label Manufacturing: Contract manufacturing of private label products for international markets. Portfolio includes more than 18 active private label projects for Norway, China, UK, Lithuania, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and USA.
3. Warehouse and Logistics Services: Third-party warehousing and logistics services provided to external customers and related companies, including transit assurance, bonded warehouse services, third-party logistics, value-added services, and picking services.
4. Licensing Royalties: Production under license of globally-known brands including Stoli, Moskovskaya, which are owned by SPI Group but manufactured at the Riga facility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Amber Latvijas balzams is a leading Baltic producer and global supplier of alcoholic beverages, manufacturing and distributing vodkas, herbal liqueurs, gins, brandies, sparkling wines, ciders, whiskeys, and ready-to-drink cocktails under owned and licensed brands such as Riga Black Balsam, Stoli, Moskovskaya, elit, and Cross Keys Gin. The company operates two ISO-certified production facilities in Riga, exports branded products to more than 175 countries, and provides contract / private-label manufacturing plus third-party warehousing and logistics services for international clients.

Product overview

AS Amber Latvijas balzams is a leading producer of alcoholic beverages in the Baltic States with a portfolio spanning multiple categories. The company produces over 100 product names including vodkas (Stoli, Moskovskaya, elit, Amber Gold, Riga Black Vodka, Gradus, LB Vodka, 3 Graudu, Latvijas oriģinālais), gins (Cross Keys Gin, LB Gin), brandies and strong spirits (BLACK 1752, Bonaparte, Grand Cavalier, Hektors, Piparu rūgtais), liqueurs (Moka, Šarlote, Allažu ķimelis, Benediktīns), sparkling wines (Cosmopolitan Diva, RĪGAS šampanietis, Rīgas Prestige Cuvée, Sovetskoje, Svetskoje Zolotoje), ciders (Apple Garden, Lucky Dog), wines (Agdams, Glintwine), whiskey (Dé Danann), non-alcoholic beverages (Cosmopolitan Diva non-alko, Rīgas Dzirkstošais non-alko), and ready-to-drink cocktails (Black, LB, Dins, M Street). The flagship product is Riga Black Balsam Original dating to 1752, one of Europe's oldest alcohol brands. Products are available in over 175 markets worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Riga Black Balsam: Herbal bitter liqueur, one of the oldest alcohol brands in Europe dating to 1752
• Stoli Premium Vodka
• Moskovskaya Osobaya
• elit Vodka
• Cross Keys Gin
• Grand Cavalier
• Bonaparte
• Moka
• Cosmopolitan Diva
• Riga Sparkling Wine
• Apple Garden

Products and services

• Riga Black Balsam (Original, Cherry, Currant) Traditional herbal bitter liqueur based on 24 ingredients, one of the oldest alcohol brands in Europe; sold globally to consumers via wholesalers, importers, the factory store, and factory tours.
• Stoli Premium Vodka (including Stoli Crushed) Premium vodka brand manufactured under license from SPI Group at Amber Latvijas balzams' Riga facility and distributed worldwide.
• Moskovskaya Osobaya (including Limited Edition) Legendary vodka brand with history tracing to the Russian Empire, currently available in over 40 global markets, manufactured at the Riga facility.
• elit Vodka Ultra-luxury vodka brand representing the premium end of the company's vodka portfolio.
• Cross Keys Gin Premium gin distilled in Latvia from local herbs including chamomile and linden blossoms, bottled in distinctive ceramic bottles for maturation.
• Grand Cavalier Brand of strong spirits in the company's premium spirits portfolio.
• Bonaparte Brand of strong spirits distributed by the company.
• Moka Coffee liqueur brand in the company's flavored liqueur portfolio.
• Cosmopolitan Diva (including Strawberry Mint, Non-Alko variant) Sparkling wine brand available in multiple flavors including Strawberry-Mint, with a non-alcoholic variant under the same trademark.
• RĪGAS šampanietis (Sparkling wine Rīga Sparkling Original) Traditional sparkling wine produced in Riga using the classic method, marketed under the RĪGAS šampanietis trademark.
• Rīgas Prestige Cuvée (Brut, Semi-seco, Sweet) Premium sparkling wine line made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes grown in Spain, available in Brut, Semi-seco, and Sweet variants.
• Apple Garden Cider Cider brand produced in the company's light-alcoholic-beverages plant in Riga.
• Lucky Dog Cider Cider brand with Apple Vanilla flavor within the company's light-alcoholic-beverages portfolio.
• Sovetskoje Igristoje Popular sparkling wine in Latvia, made from selected European wines using a continuous fermentation method.
• Svetskoje Zolotoje (Polusladkoje Semi-sweet, Sladkoje Sweet) Sparkling wine line available in Semi-sweet (Polusladkoje) and Sweet (Sladkoje) variants, with a rich flavor and saturated aroma.
• BLACK 1752 Brandy Premium brandy celebrating the company's heritage and the year of the original Riga Black Balsam recipe.
• Hektors Strong spirit brand in the company's strong-spirits portfolio.
• Piparu rūgtais Pepper bitter spirit brand in the company's flavored bitter-spirits portfolio.
• Šarlote Liqueur Liqueur brand in the company's flavored liqueur portfolio.
• Allažu ķimelis Liqueur Traditional Latvian liqueur brand produced by the company.
• Benediktīns Herbal Liqueur Herbal liqueur brand in the company's portfolio.
• Dé Danann Whiskey Whiskey product introduced in 2023 at 40% alcohol by volume in 0.7L format.
• Amber Gold Vodka Vodka brand whose packaging design received the 2017 World Star for Packaging Excellence.
• Riga Black Vodka Vodka produced in Riga, sold under the Riga Black trademark within the vodka portfolio.
• Gradus Vodka Vodka brand in the company's mid-range vodka portfolio.
• LB Vodka House vodka brand carrying the LB / Latvijas balzams mark.
• 3 Graudu Vodka Three-grain vodka brand in the company's vodka portfolio.
• Latvijas oriģinālais Vodka Original Latvian vodka brand.
• LB Gin Gin produced under the LB / Latvijas balzams label.
• Agdams Wine Still wine brand in the company's wine portfolio.
• Glintwine Wine brand in the company's wine portfolio.
• Black kokteiļi (Alcoholic Cocktails) Ready-to-drink alcoholic cocktail line under the Black brand, including a Black Cherry variant.
• LB kokteiļi (Alcoholic Cocktails) Ready-to-drink cocktail line under the LB brand.
• Dins Cocktails Ready-to-drink cocktail brand with vodka-tonic variants including Cranberry.
• M Street Cocktails Ready-to-drink cocktail brand in the company's RTD portfolio.
• Cosmopolitan Diva Non-Alko Non-alcoholic version of the Cosmopolitan Diva sparkling line.
• Rīgas Dzirkstošais Non-Alko Non-alcoholic sparkling wine from Riga in the company's no-alcohol portfolio.
• Contract / Private Label Manufacturing Contract manufacturing of branded and private-label alcoholic beverages (vodkas, gins, liqueurs, sparkling wines, ciders, RTDs) for international customers including those in Norway, China, the UK, Lithuania, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and the USA. The portfolio includes more than 18 active private label projects.
• Warehouse and Logistics Services Third-party warehousing and logistics services provided to external customers and related companies, including bonded warehouse services, transit assurance, third-party logistics, value-added services, and picking services.
• Factory Tours Guided tours of the Riga production facility for groups of 5-20 persons, priced at EUR 25 per person (VAT included), lasting up to 2 hours and offered in Latvian, English, and Russian; includes a tasting of Riga Black Balsam and Riga Black Balsam extract, with a 10% discount on products purchased in the on-site factory store.

Quantifiable outcome

• Leading producer of alcoholic beverages in the Baltic States with products in 175 countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SPI Group (Stoli Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPI Group is the owner of Stoli and Moskovskaya vodka brands. Amber Latvijas balzams manufactures these brands under license at its Riga facility. This is a key strategic partnership with significant revenue impact - changes in Stoli Group's pricing strategy have directly affected the company's sales volumes.
• Amber Distribution LatviacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSubsidiary company handling domestic market distribution in Latvia for Latvijas balzams branded products. Integral to the company's go-to-market strategy in its home market.
• Local Raw Material SuppliersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term cooperation with local producers including: 4.5 tons dried apple, 0.6 tons honey, 6 tons dried blueberries purchased locally. Supports local economy while ensuring supply chain reliability.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Diageo: World's largest spirits company (Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker, Captain Morgan). Competes in vodka and other categories globally; relevant for benchmarking scale, distribution, and brand-building practices.
• Campari Group: Global spirits company with multiple brands across categories (Aperol, Skyy vodka, Wild Turkey). Overlapping presence in vodka, liqueurs, and sparkling categories across shared export markets.
• Pernod Ricard: Global premium spirits giant (Absolut, Jameson, Chivas). Competitor across vodka and other categories in the same 175-market footprint, but vastly larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Rémy Cointreau: Premium spirits group focused on cognac, liqueurs, and gins. Comparable in premium positioning strategy (Riga Black Balsam, Cross Keys Gin) and export-led growth model.
• Brown-Forman: US-based premium spirits company (Jack Daniel's, Finlandia vodka). Directly competes in vodka and liqueur categories across the same US and European export markets.
• Mast-Jägermeister: German family-owned herbal liqueur/spirits producer with strong global distribution and brand-driven model. Comparable in herbal liqueur expertise and premium positioning in the same on-premise channel.

Direct peers

• SPI Group (Stoli Group): Owner of the Stoli and Moskovskaya vodka brands manufactured under license at Amber LB's Riga facility. Closely tied through the licensing relationship and overlapping brand exposure in the same export markets.
• Stock Spirits Group: Central and Eastern European branded spirits manufacturer with a multi-country portfolio. Highly comparable mid-cap spirits producer with similar geographic focus, brand-led strategy, and private label capabilities.
• Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits: European mid-cap spirits and liqueurs producer with broad portfolio and private label services. Closely comparable in size, product mix (liqueurs, spirits), and distribution model.

Regional players

• Cēsu Alus: Latvian beverage producer operating in the same Baltic home market as Amber LB. Relevant as a regional beverage peer for benchmarking domestic market dynamics and Latvian production cost structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/embed/XPUBHQgSAzQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/amber-latvijas-balzams

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Amber Latvijas balzams