Diageo Plc agreed to acquire fast-growing tequila brand Casamigos, co-founded four years ago by Clooney, for as much as $1 billion. The deal expands the London-based distiller’s lineup in a fast-growing category, where it already owns the Don Julio, DeLeon and Peligroso brands.
The purchase will be Diageo’s biggest since its $3.2 billion acquisition of United Spirits Ltd. in 2014. After that deal boosted its presence in India, the owner of the Smirnoff brand is moving to strengthen its U.S. business, which has returned to growth after a difficult stretch following a slowdown in vodka sales. Meanwhile, tequila volume in the U.S. more than doubled from 2002 through 2015, according to the Distilled Spirits Council.
An initial consideration of $700 million will be followed by a further potential $300 million based on a performance-linked earn-out over 10 years, Diageo said in a statement Wednesday.
