Spirit Cartel

What Spirit Cartel does

Spirit Cartel is the spirits division of Berkmann Wine Cellars Ltd, a UK family-owned wine and spirits importer tracing back to Berkmann Family Holdings, incorporated in 1964. Operating from its registered offices in London (70 Rosebery Avenue, EC1R 4RR) and York, Spirit Cartel imports and distributes a curated portfolio of approximately 60 premium international spirit brands across the UK on-trade (bars, restaurants, hotels, pubs, members' clubs) and off-trade (supermarkets, regional wholesalers, specialist online retailers) channels. The portfolio spans bourbon (Four Roses), tequila (Clase Azul, 818 Tequila, G4, Terralta, Pa' Todos, Cascahuin), vodka (Tito's, Tom of Finland), gin and jenever (Bobby's Schiedam), mezcal (Koch el Mezcal, San Cosme), rum (English Harbour, Barbancourt, J.Bally), cognac (Tesseron), armagnac (Marquis de Montesquiou), vermouth (Mancino, Rinomato), amaro (Amaro Lucano), and Greek liqueurs (Roots Spirits). Many of these mandates are held under exclusive UK distribution agreements.

The company generates revenue by purchasing spirits from brand owners and reselling to UK venues and retailers at a distribution margin, supplemented by brand activation, trade education, and experiential marketing services. Its go-to-market combines a territory-based field sales force covering on-trade accounts with a National Account Manager handling supermarket relationships, supported by regional wholesalers for breadth. Marketing is event-driven: Imbibe Live, Red Rooster Festival, brand ambassador programs led by former bartenders, and the company-maintained 'Where to Imbibe' venue directory. Spirit Cartel does not operate proprietary technology platforms; pricing is not publicly disclosed, and no revenue figures are available.

The company is governed within the Berkmann group, with Rupert Berkmann as Chief Executive Officer of the parent. Spirit Cartel's named commercial leadership comprises David Hood (General Manager, later 'capo di capo' / sales director, with prior senior roles at Matthew Clark and Proximo Spirits) and Charles Marshall (Consiglieri). In 2019 Spirit Cartel won the IWSC Spirits Distributor of the Year award, and the parent group files an annual Modern Slavery Act statement covering its UK operations and supply chain.

Name

Spirit Cartel

Legal name

Spirit Cartel Limited

Website

https://spiritcartel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Spirit Cartel is the UK spirits division of Berkmann Wine Cellars, importing and distributing an exclusive portfolio of approximately 60 premium international spirit brands to on-trade hospitality, off-trade retail, and regional wholesalers across the United Kingdom.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Spirits Distribution

NAICS

Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (424820), Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (4248)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA)

Keywords

• Spirits distribution
• Premium spirits import
• Beverage brand activation
• Hospitality wholesale supply
• UK on-trade distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Spirits Distribution: Spirit Cartel generates revenue through importing and distributing premium spirits to the UK market. They purchase spirits from brand owners/manufacturers and sell to on-trade (bars, restaurants, hotels) and off-trade (supermarkets, regional wholesalers) customers with margin. The company acts as the official UK distributor for multiple spirit brands.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Spirit Cartel is the UK spirits distribution division of Berkmann Wine Cellars Ltd, importing and distributing a curated portfolio of approximately 27 premium international spirit brands (including Four Roses Bourbon, 818 Tequila, Clase Azul, Tito's Vodka, Bobby's Schiedam Dry Gin, Koch el Mezcal, English Harbour Rum, Tesseron Cognac, and Mancino Vermouth) to the UK on-trade hospitality sector, supermarkets, and regional wholesalers. The company supplements distribution with brand activations, trade education, and brand ambassador programs run by former bartenders and WSET-qualified staff.

Product overview

Spirit Cartel is the spirits division of Berkmann Wine Cellars Ltd, a UK-based premium spirits importer and distributor founded in 1964. The company operates as a portfolio of imported spirit brands rather than a single unified product platform. Spirit Cartel represents approximately 27 distinct spirit brands spanning categories including bourbon (Four Roses), tequila (818 Tequila, Clase Azul, G4, Terralta, Pa' Todos), vodka (Tito's, Tom of Finland), gin (Bobby's Schiedam Dry Gin), jenever (Bobby's Schiedam Jenever), mezcal (Koch el Mezcal, San Cosme), rum (English Harbour, Barbancourt, J.Bally), cognac (Tesseron), armagnac (Marquis de Montesquiou), vermouth (Mancino, Rinomato), amaro (Amaro Lucano), liqueurs (Roots Spirits), and specialty spirits (Seven Tails, FUJI, Spirited Union, Cascahuin). The company supplies to on-trade (hospitality sector), off-trade (supermarkets and regional wholesalers), and primarily through regional wholesalers. Spirit Cartel was named IWSC Spirits Distributor 2019, recognized for quality brands, creative brand activations, and team product knowledge.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• James E. Pepper 1776 Straight Rye Whiskey Award-winning straight rye whiskey at 46% ABV with over 90% rye in the mash bill, non chill-filtered. Distributed via Spirit Cartel to UK on-trade and off-trade; won Gold Medal at San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2016.
• James E. Pepper 1776 Straight Rye Whiskey Barrel Proof Barrel proof straight rye whiskey at 57.3% ABV, non chill-filtered with over 90% rye in the mash bill. Distributed via Spirit Cartel in the UK; won Double Gold at San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2019 and Gold in 2017.
• Four Roses Bourbon portfolio Bourbon portfolio combining two mashbills with five proprietary yeast strains to produce 10 distinct recipes, including Small Batch, Single Barrel, Yellow Kentucky Straight Bourbon, and limited edition releases. Distributed by Spirit Cartel in the UK; awarded Director's Award and multiple category wins at San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2016.
• 818 Tequila Premium tequila brand distributed by Spirit Cartel in the UK market, available to on-trade and off-trade accounts.
• Tito's Handmade Vodka Handmade vodka brand distributed by Spirit Cartel in the UK market to on-trade and off-trade.
• Clase Azul Tequila portfolio Ultra-premium tequila including Plata, Reposado, Añejo, Ultra Extra Añejo, and La Pinta variants; hand-crafted from organic Weber Blue Agave in hand-painted ceramic decanters. Distributed via Spirit Cartel in the UK.
• Pa' Todos Tequila Blanco Blanco tequila from Jalisco, Mexico made from 100% Blue Weber agave, harvested by hand and roasted slowly at low pressure. All-natural fermentation under master distiller Don Manolo at Hacienda Casa Macías (NOM 1621). Distributed via Spirit Cartel in the UK.
• Bobby's Schiedam Dry Gin Dutch-Indonesian hybrid gin at 42% ABV featuring eight botanicals: juniper, clove, cubeb pepper, cinnamon, lemongrass, rose hip, fennel and coriander. Launched by Spirit Cartel in the UK in October 2019.
• Bobby's Schiedam Jenever Dutch-Indonesian hybrid jenever at 38% ABV with five botanicals (juniper, cardamom, ginger, lemongrass, cubeb pepper) based on traditional malt wine. Launched in the UK by Spirit Cartel in October 2019.
• Koch el Mezcal Premium mezcal brand distributed by Spirit Cartel in the UK across on-trade and off-trade channels.
• Mancino Vermouth portfolio Artisanal vermouth range including Secco, Bianco Ambrato, Rosso Amaranto, Vecchio, and Chinato varieties; brand founded in 2011 and distributed via Spirit Cartel in the UK.
• English Harbour Rum Antigua rum brand including 5-year and 10-year expressions distilled at Antigua Distillery Limited; distributed via Spirit Cartel in the UK. Multiple Gold and Best Rum awards across Rum Masters, Beverage Tasting Institute, NY World Spirits Competition, and WSWA.
• Tesseron Cognac Family-owned cognac house sourcing from Grande and Petite Champagne using Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard grapes. XO range includes Composition, Lot nº 90, 76, 53, 29, XO Passion, Extra Légende, Trésor, and Extreme. Distributed via Spirit Cartel in the UK.
• Marquis de Montesquiou Armagnac French Armagnac house producing brandy since 1431, with VS, VSOP, and XO expressions from the Montesquiou family. Distributed via Spirit Cartel in the UK.
• Roots Spirits liqueurs Greek premium liqueurs from a 160-year-old distillery featuring four natural-extract liqueurs: Rakomelo, Tentura, Mastiha, and Herb Spirit. Distributed via Spirit Cartel in the UK.
• Seven Tails Premium spirits brand distributed by Spirit Cartel in the UK market.
• Barbancourt Premium rum from Haiti distributed by Spirit Cartel in the UK.
• FUJI Japanese spirits Japanese spirits brand distributed by Spirit Cartel in the UK.
• Spirited Union Spirits brand distributed by Spirit Cartel in the UK market.
• Cascahuin Mexican spirits brand distributed by Spirit Cartel in the UK.
• Rinomato Italian vermouth brand distributed by Spirit Cartel in the UK.
• Amaro Lucano Italian amaro brand distributed by Spirit Cartel in the UK.
• San Cosme Mezcal Mexican mezcal brand distributed by Spirit Cartel in the UK; featured in Esquire Magazine's '5 of the Best Mezcals'.
• G4 Tequila Premium tequila brand distributed by Spirit Cartel in the UK.
• Terralta Tequila Mexican tequila brand distributed by Spirit Cartel in the UK.
• J.Bally Rum Caribbean rum brand distributed by Spirit Cartel in the UK.
• Tom of Finland Organic Vodka Organic vodka at 40% ABV with clean aromas, subtle rye spice hints, vanilla and cream soda notes, and star anise overtones. Launched into the UK market by Spirit Cartel in August 2017.
• Four Roses 2019 Limited Edition Small Batch Limited edition bourbon featuring a 21-year-old OBSV recipe alongside 15-year-old OESK, 15-year-old OESV and 11-year-old OESV; non-chill filtered at 56.3% ABV, UK RRP £195, ~3,700 hand-numbered bottles for Europe.

Quantifiable outcome

• IWSC Spirits Distributor of the Year 2019 winner - recognized for dynamic and innovative approach
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Berkmann Wine CellarscoreOthersSpirit Cartel is the spirit division of Berkmann Wine Cellars Ltd, which is part of Berkmann Family Holdings incorporated in 1964. Berkmann is the largest family owned and family run wine importer in the UK, with three trading divisions: On Trade, Off Trade, and Spirits (Spirit Cartel).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Liberty Wines: UK premium wine importer and distributor with on-trade focus. Adjacent peer sharing similar customer base and Berkmann-style family-company ethos; useful benchmark for premium on-trade distribution economics.

Direct peers

• Halewood International: UK-based independent drinks manufacturer and distributor with a similar premium spirits portfolio and on-trade focus. Closest comparable business model to Spirit Cartel within the UK market.
• Kingsland Drinks: UK wine and spirits drinks specialist (parent of Cellar Trends), supplying major UK retailers and on-trade with premium and mid-tier brands. Comparable UK multi-channel distribution model with private ownership.
• Enotria Winecellars: UK premium wine and spirits importer/distributor serving the on-trade with a curated portfolio approach. Closely comparable to Spirit Cartel's premium positioning and trade relationships.
• Inver House Distillers: UK-based spirits producer (AnCnoc, Balblair, Old Pulteney) and distributor with own brand portfolio and distribution operations. Comparable UK spirits distribution with premium positioning.
• Ian Macleod Distillers: Scottish-based spirits producer and distributor with premium portfolio (Glengoyne, Tamdhu) and own distribution arm serving UK and international markets. Comparable premium spirits distribution model.
• Amathus Drinks: UK premium drinks distributor specializing in wines and spirits to the on-trade. Direct comparable in scale and customer segment, with similar curated portfolio philosophy.
• Matthew Clark (C&C Group): One of the UK's largest on-trade drinks wholesalers, now part of C&C Group. Directly comparable route-to-market and customer base (UK on-trade hospitality) with broader scale.

Broad incumbents

• Diageo (UK): World's largest spirits company with extensive UK distribution and direct relationships with major on-trade accounts. Sets competitive benchmarks and exerts pricing pressure across the UK spirits distribution value chain.
• Speciality Brands (Pernod Ricard): UK premium spirits arm of Pernod Ricard, distributing craft and boutique spirits to the UK on-trade. Wider portfolio and global parent resources; competes directly for premium venue placements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/spiritcartel
• Instagraminstagram.com/spiritcartel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spirit-cartel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Spirit Cartel