ULTRA PREMIUM BRANDS CENTRAL EUROPE

What ULTRA PREMIUM BRANDS CENTRAL EUROPE does

Ultra Premium Brands – Central Europe s.r.o. (UPB) is a privately held Czech Republic-based importer and distributor of premium and ultra-premium alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, founded in 1992 by Jakub Janeček and co-owned equally with Jiří Rabel. The company holds exclusive or authorized distribution rights for a curated portfolio of international spirit and wine brands — including Zacapa and Diplomático rums (the latter until 2022), Don Papa rum (until 2023), Hendrick's gin, Herradura and El Jimador tequilas, Fever-Tree mixers, Velier Triple A wines, and Aperol — and sells them into HORECA, retail chains, wholesalers, and e-commerce across Czech Republic and Slovakia.

UPB operates a multi-channel go-to-market: regional sales representatives covering the Czech Republic plus dedicated key-account managers for retail chains and wholesalers, complemented by the wholly owned Warehouse #1 specialty retail store in Prague's Karlín district (opened 2011, awarded best specialized store in the Czech Republic shortly after opening) and the warehouse1.cz e-commerce platform (launched 2016). The company has also expanded into proprietary product with the Warehouse #1 private-label rum and whisky range launched in 2021. Operational footprint includes the Prague headquarters, a Brno hub (2016), an Ostrava warehouse (2017), and the UPB Slovakia subsidiary in Bratislava (2021).

The business model is primarily exclusive distribution (transaction-fee / margin on wholesale), supplemented by direct-to-consumer retail through Warehouse #1 and warehouse1.cz. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is set within distribution-partnership frameworks. Marketing is executed through category-specific brand ambassadors (Campari/Spritz, Rum/Fever-Tree, Bourbon, Whisky, Wine/Cognac), the in-house Warehouse #1 magazine, social media, and industry events including the Prague Bar Show. UPB's central strategic narrative is that it sells "original stories told through noble distillates and genuine wines," backed by direct producer relationships developed over two founder-led decades of international sourcing trips. The company has recorded multiple industry accolades — two Diageo European Awards for Marketing & Distribution Excellence (2014, 2019) — but has also experienced meaningful portfolio disruption with the involuntary loss of Diplomático (sold to Brown-Forman, 2022) and Don Papa (sold to Diageo, 2023), which it has been actively replenishing via new partnerships with Gruppo Campari, Maison Ferrand, A.H.Riise, Gruppo Montenegro, and Sober Spirits.

Name

ULTRA PREMIUM BRANDS CENTRAL EUROPE

Legal name

Ultra Premium Brands – Central Europe s.r.o.

Website

https://upb.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UPB is a Czech Republic–based premium beverage importer and exclusive distributor founded in 1992, serving HORECA, retail chains, wholesalers, and end consumers across Czech Republic and Slovakia through a curated international spirits and wine portfolio and its Warehouse #1 retail store and e-commerce platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Spirits Distribution

NAICS

Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (4248), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (4453)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Alcohol Importers & Brand Owners (Wholesale) (CRAOAIAB), Fine Wine & Luxury Spirits Retail (CRANABAE), Bar, Restaurant & On-Premise Beverage Supply Wholesale (AFAIAGAI)

Keywords

• Premium spirits distribution
• Alcoholic beverage import
• Spirits wholesale distribution
• Premium beverage retail
• Craft spirits distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Prague

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Beverage Distribution: UPB generates revenue through importing and distributing premium alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages to the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The company serves as the exclusive or authorized distributor for numerous international spirit brands, selling to retail chains, wholesalers, HORECA (hotels, restaurants, cafes), and end consumers through their own retail store and e-commerce.
2. Retail Store - Warehouse #1: Direct retail sales through their flagship store Warehouse #1 in Prague Karlín and their e-commerce platform warehouse1.cz, selling premium spirits and wines directly to consumers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ultra Premium Brands Central Europe (UPB) imports and distributes premium and ultra-premium alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages—including rums, whisky, cognac, gin, tequila, vodka, premium mixers, and organic wines—into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The company serves as an authorized or exclusive distributor for numerous international spirit brands, selling through retail chains, wholesalers, HORECA (hotels, restaurants, cafes), specialty retailers, and direct-to-consumer channels. It also operates the Warehouse #1 flagship retail store in Prague and the warehouse1.cz e-commerce platform, and produces its own private-label rums and whisky under the Warehouse #1 brand.

Product overview

Ultra Premium Brands Central Europe operates as a premium beverage import and distribution company with a multi-brand portfolio. The company distributes rums (Zacapa, Diplomático, Don Papa), whisky, cognac, gin (Hendrick's), tequila (Herradura, El Jimador), vodka, and non-alcoholic spirits through a network of sales representatives and key account managers across the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The company also operates an e-commerce platform and physical retail store under the Warehouse #1 brand, and launched its own private label spirits in 2021. Recent expansions include distribution rights for Sober Spirits (non-alcoholic), A.H.Riise, Gruppo Montenegro portfolio, and Maison Ferrand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Warehouse #1: Proprietary retail brand encompassing e-commerce platform, physical specialty spirits store in Prague, and private label rum and whisky products
• Warehouse #1 Private Label

Products and services

• Warehouse #1 Retail Store and E-commerce Curated physical and online retail channel offering premium spirits, organic wines, and non-alcoholic beverages directly to end consumers in the Czech Republic.
• Warehouse #1 Private Label Spirits Own-brand rum and whisky produced under the Warehouse #1 label, sold through the company's retail and distribution channels.
• Premium Spirits Distribution Services Import, brand-building, and wholesale distribution of premium and ultra-premium international spirit brands (rums Zacapa, Diplomático, Don Papa; Hendrick's gin; Herradura and El Jimador tequila; Fever-Tree mixers; Triple A wines; Sober Spirits; A.H.Riise; Aperol; Cinzano; Gruppo Montenegro brands) to retail chains, wholesalers, and HORECA across Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Quantifiable outcome

• Rum Zacapa became the best-selling premium alcohol brand in Czech Republic history (2017)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Sober SpiritsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024UPB started collaboration with Sober Spirits, a manufacturer of award-winning non-alcoholic distillates, expanding their portfolio into the non-alcoholic category.
• A.H.RiiseminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024UPB took over distribution of A.H.Riise brands in 2024, adding another portfolio brand.
• Gruppo MontenegrominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024UPB took over distribution of Gruppo Montenegro portfolio in 2024, expanding their Italian spirits presence.
• Maison FerrandminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2022UPB established partnership with Maison Ferrand, a French producer of cognac, armagnac, and other spirits, beginning distribution in 2022.
• Gruppo CamparicoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019UPB began partnership with Gruppo Campari in 2019. In 2022, they took on distribution of additional Campari brands including Aperol and Cinzano. Gruppo Campari is a major global player in the spirits industry.
• Don PapacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2014UPB met Stephen Carroll, owner of Don Papa rum, in London in 2014 and established distribution partnership. Distribution was lost in 2023 when the brand was sold to Diageo.
• VeliercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2011UPB met Luca Gargan, owner of Velier, in 2011 during a fateful trip to Genoa. This led to first imports of Triple A wines from Velier in 2012 and expansion into genuine wines without chemicals. Velier collaboration inspired the Warehouse #1 name.
• DiageocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2011UPB worked with Diageo for 14 years until 2020 when Diageo transferred their reserve portfolio to Stock. UPB organized Diageo Reserve World Class bartender competition in Czech Republic and won European Marketing & Distribution Excellence awards.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Edrington: Scottish premium spirits owner (The Macallan, Highland Park). Comparable as an ultra-premium spirits owner using selective regional distributors across Europe, similar to UPB's model.
• Brown-Forman: US-listed premium spirits group (Jack Daniel's, Woodford Reserve). Acquired Diplomático from UPB's portfolio in 2022, making it both a comparable premium-spirits brand builder and the upstream party in one of UPB's distribution losses.
• Gruppo Campari: Italian premium spirits group (Aperol, Campari, Wild Turkey). UPB's distribution partner since 2019 with portfolio expansion in 2022. Comparable as a multi-category premium spirits owner that relies on local distributors like UPB to reach the Czech market.
• Rémy Cointreau: French premium spirits group (Rémy Martin cognac, Cointreau, Louis XIII). Comparable in its cognac and ultra-premium spirits positioning, which overlaps with Maison Ferrand products that UPB began distributing in 2022.
• Diageo: World's largest premium spirits company and UPB's former partner for 14 years. Highly comparable in product categories (rum, whisky, gin, tequila) and is the source of brands UPB built (Don Papa), as well as a benchmark for distribution excellence awards UPB won twice.
• Pernod Ricard: One of the world's largest premium spirits groups (Absolut, Jameson, Chivas). Comparable to UPB as a portfolio of premium spirit brands, and Pernod Ricard's regional distributors often replicate UPB's role in other European markets.
• Mast-Jägermeister SE: Global premium spirits company with its own distribution network across Europe. Comparable to UPB as a premium spirits distributor that builds brand presence through on-premise activation, ambassadors, and selective distribution partnerships.
• Beam Suntory: Global premium spirits company (Jim Beam, Maker's Mark, Yamazaki). Comparable to UPB through its Jim Beam and bourbon distribution footprint in Europe, and through competitor dynamics in the whisky category UPB distributes.

Others

• William Grant & Sons: Owner of Hendrick's gin, one of UPB's long-standing distributed brands since 2005. Listed as an "OTHERS" peer because the relationship is supplier-distributor rather than competitive, but the comparable category (premium gin, premium whisky) and use of selective distributors across Europe make it relevant contextually.

Direct peers

• Stock Spirits Group (now Stock Company): Czech-based spirits producer and distributor operating across Central Europe. Took over Diageo's reserve portfolio from UPB in 2020, making it a direct competitor for premium spirits distribution in the same Czech/Slovak territory that UPB serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/Warehouse1Prague
• Facebookfacebook.com/Warehouse1Prague
• Instagraminstagram.com/warehouse1cz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ultra-premium-brands-central-europe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 ULTRA PREMIUM BRANDS CENTRAL EUROPE