LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Louisville-based Brown-Forman confirmed it is in talks to merge with a French alcohol maker.
In a news release, the company said Thursday it is in talks with spirits giant Pernod Ricard.
Discussions are ongoing, and no deal is in place.
Pernod Ricard owns more than 200 brands, including Malibu rum, Absolut vodka and Rabbit Hole bourbon.
In a statement, Brown-Forman said it "regularly explores and evaluates strategic opportunities."
The company said the partnership would be a merger of equals.
Last year, Brown-Forman announced a corporate restructuring that would cut 12% of its global workforce — about 5,400 people.
The spirits company closed its barrel-making operation in Louisville in April 2025. The closure of the cooperage left 210 workers out of a job. The company said the closure saves about $70 million to $80 million a year.
Brown-Forman, parent company of Old Forester, Woodford Reserve and Jack Daniel’s, operates in 170 countries and employs about 5,000 people worldwide. It is based in Louisville and has operated there for 155 years, making it the fifth-largest public company in the city.
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