What LEJAY LAGOUTE does

LEJAY LAGOUTE S.A.S. is a French family-founded liqueur producer headquartered in Dijon, Burgundy, established in 1841 by Auguste-Denis Lagoute, who created the world's first Crème de Cassis. The company manufactures premium blackcurrant-based spirits across four core SKUs: LEJAY Original (18% ABV), LEJAY Noir de Bourgogne (20% ABV), LEJAY Bitters Cassis, and the ready-to-drink LEJAY Le Kir Cassis (12% ABV). Production relies on a traditional gravity-based, unfiltered maceration process lasting 8–10 weeks, blending Noir de Bourgogne and Blackdown blackcurrant varieties and incorporating a proprietary blackcurrant bud infusion whose formula is held as a trade secret.

The company operates a B2B/B2C hybrid distribution model that channels product exclusively through specialty on-trade and off-trade outlets — bars, cocktail lounges, restaurants, and wine merchants (cavistes) — with no mass-retail presence. Geographic reach spans France (primary market), the United States (served via distributor ABCK Corp, based in New York), and Japan (where LEJAY was the first fruit liqueur imported). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, consistent with its premium positioning. Demand-generation is anchored in content marketing (a 50+ recipe cocktail library), professional bartender endorsements (e.g., mixologists Nicolas de Soto and Leo Robitscheck), and participation in cocktail competitions such as the Glasgow finals.

Monetization is driven entirely by one-time bottle sales of premium liqueur SKUs to on-trade and off-trade accounts. The business holds two key regulatory and intellectual property assets: the Cassis de Dijon Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) granted at European level on August 7, 2013, requiring production within Dijon territory and a minimum 25% Noir de Bourgogne varietal content, and exclusive use of the "Kir" / "Kir Royal" trademark granted by Canon Felix Kir in 1951. In 2017, the French government awarded LEJAY the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (EPV) label for artisanal craftsmanship, and the company has accumulated industry recognition including a 2021 Grande Médaille d'Or at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles Spirits Selection and a 2015 "World's Best Spirit" designation for Noir de Bourgogne.

Name

LEJAY LAGOUTE

Legal name

LEJAY LAGOUTE S.A.S.

Website

https://lejay-cassis.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1841

Operating status

Operating

Short description

LEJAY LAGOUTE is a French family-founded liqueur producer established in 1841 in Dijon, manufacturing premium Crème de Cassis and blackcurrant-based spirits sold through specialty bars, restaurants, and wine shops across France, the United States, and Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dijon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Premium Crème de Cassis Liqueur Sales: One-time bottle sales of premium blackcurrant liqueur products. LEJAY Original (18% ABV), LEJAY Noir de Bourgogne (20% ABV), LEJAY Bitters, and Le Kir Cassis are sold through bars, restaurants, wine shops, and directly to consumers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Maison Lejay Lagoute manufactures premium Crème de Cassis liqueurs and related blackcurrant-based products from its Dijon headquarters using a traditional gravity-based unfiltered maceration process. Its portfolio includes LEJAY Original (18% ABV), LEJAY Noir de Bourgogne (20% ABV), LEJAY Bitters Cassis, and Le Kir Cassis (12% ABV ready-to-drink), sold through bars, restaurants, wine shops, and international distributors.

Product overview

LEJAY LAGOUTE is a French liqueur manufacturer founded in 1841 in Dijon, Burgundy, specializing in Crème de Cassis (blackcurrant liqueur). The product portfolio consists of four main offerings: LEJAY Original (the 18% ABV flagship traditional recipe), LEJAY Noir de Bourgogne (a 20% ABV premium single-variety gourmet liqueur made exclusively from Noir de Bourgogne blackcurrants), LEJAY Bitters Cassis (an aromatic cocktail enhancement product), and LEJAY Le Kir® Cassis (a 12% ABV ready-to-drink sparkling cocktail). All products are made from French blackcurrant berries using traditional gravity-based maceration methods without filtration, adhering to the Protected Geographical Indication of Cassis de Dijon.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LEJAY Original: The iconic traditional Crème de Cassis at 18% ABV. Winner of Grande Médaille d'Or 2021 at Spirits Selection by Brussels Spirits Contest.
• LEJAY Noir de Bourgogne
• LEJAY Bitters Cassis
• LEJAY Le Kir® Cassis

Products and services

• LEJAY Original The flagship Crème de Cassis liqueur at 18% ABV, made with two complementary blackcurrant varieties (Noir de Bourgogne and Blackdown) macerated for 8-10 weeks using a gravity-based unfiltered process. Targeted at professional bartenders, restaurants, wine shops, and premium spirits consumers for use in cocktails and aperitifs such as Kir and Kir Royal.
• LEJAY Noir de Bourgogne Premium single-variety Crème de Cassis made exclusively from Noir de Bourgogne blackcurrants at 20% ABV. Rich, intense, and velvety with notes of dark chocolate and black cherry; positioned as the gourmet/specialty tier for fine dining and specialty retail channels.
• LEJAY Bitters Cassis Aromatic cocktail bitters crafted with blackcurrant, featuring complex notes of blackcurrant, citrus zest, cherry, blackcurrant bud, coconut, and gingerbread. Designed for professional cocktail enhancement in bars and restaurants.
• LEJAY Le Kir® Cassis Ready-to-drink sparkling cocktail at 12% ABV combining French Blanc de Blancs wine with blackcurrant infusion, sold in 75cl bottles. Features intense purple color, fruity nose with blackcurrant notes, and sweet flavor with fine bubbles; positioned as a lower-ABV aperitif format.

Quantifiable outcome

• Grande Médaille d'Or (Gold Medal) 2021 at Spirits Selection, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 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

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Association Cassis de DijoncoreOthers · 7 August 2013LEJAY is a member of the Association Cassis de Dijon, which successfully obtained Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status for Cassis de Dijon at European level. This association protects and promotes the authentic Crème de Cassis de Dijon designation.
• ABCK CorpcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorABCK Corp serves as the US distributor for Maison Lejay Lagoute, handling distribution of LEJAY products in the United States market. Located in New York, United States.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Combier: A French craft liqueur and cocktail syrup producer from Saumur with a heritage-driven positioning similar to LEJAY, distributing through specialty on-premise and wine shop channels across France and select export markets.
• St-Germain: A premium French elderflower liqueur with strong mixology-driven brand positioning and craft heritage narrative, comparable to LEJAY in its bartender-first GTM and premium aperitif occasion, but targeting a different botanical category.

Broad incumbents

• Grand Marnier: A historic French orange liqueur with similar premium positioning, mixology heritage, and distribution through global hospitality channels. Grand Marnier is a comparable reference point for premium liqueur brand equity and pricing.
• Cointreau: A flagship French premium liqueur (orange) with global brand recognition, distributed by Rémy Cointreau. Cointreau competes with LEJAY for back-bar placement, mixologist mindshare, and premium shelf real estate internationally.
• Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits: A historic French liqueur brand with a portfolio spanning crème de cassis, anis, and fruit liqueurs, now part of the Belvédère group. Marie Brizard competes in similar on-premise and retail liqueur channels with greater distribution scale.
• Giffard: A long-established French liqueur and syrup manufacturer from Angers, Giffard competes across the premium French liqueur category including crème de cassis variants and a much broader fruit liqueur and bitters portfolio.

Direct peers

• Maison Briottet: A Dijon-based family producer of Crème de Cassis de Bourgogne and a broader liqueur portfolio, directly competing with LEJAY in the same protected PGI category and overlapping on bar/restaurant distribution across France and export markets.
• Joseph Cartron: A Burgundy-based liqueur producer with a comparable craft, family-owned positioning and a portfolio that includes fruit crèmes and aperitif liqueurs. Cartron competes with LEJAY in premium on-premise channels and export markets for French liqueur share.
• Gabriel Boudier: Also based in Dijon, Gabriel Boudier is a direct competitor producing authentic Crème de Cassis de Bourgogne alongside other fruit liqueurs and crème de fruits, sharing the same PGI terroir and competing for the same bars, restaurants, and wine shops.

Regional players

• Luxardo: An Italian premium liqueur and maraschino cherry producer with a long heritage and craft credentials analogous to LEJAY's 1841 founding story. Luxardo competes in overlapping mixology usage occasions but primarily serves European and global markets from Italy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/lejaycassis

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 LEJAY LAGOUTE