Lucas Bols USA, the North American subsidiary of one of the world's oldest distilled spirits companies, has overhauled its national route-to-market strategy, replacing Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) across 24 states with a quartet of regional and national distributors: Johnson Brothers, Martignetti Companies, Reyes Beverage Group and Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits.
The transition is being executed in phases. Reyes Beverage Group took on its markets effective June 1, 2026. Johnson Brothers and Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits follow on July 1. The Martignetti Companies handoff is contingent on the close of that firm's pending acquisition of RNDC's business in its operating territories, making the full network realignment dependent on a separate M&A transaction.
The departure from RNDC — described by the company as amicable — marks one of the more significant distributor reshuffles in the premium spirits segment in recent years. Lucas Bols, founded in Amsterdam in 1575, sells a portfolio that includes genever, flavored liqueurs and the Bols Barrel Aged line. The U.S. remains an underpenetrated market for the brand relative to its European footprint, and executives have signalled that distribution density is a prerequisite for accelerating on-premise and off-premise velocity. The move mirrors a broader industry pattern in which mid-tier international spirits houses are trading broad single-distributor national agreements for more regionally focused partners capable of delivering deeper market activation. Southern Glazer's, the largest U.S. wine and spirits distributor by volume, anchors the new network's scale, while Johnson Brothers, Reyes Beverage Group and Martignetti provide specialist reach in the Midwest, West Coast and Northeast respectively. For context on how distributor alignment is reshaping shelf competition, see our earlier analysis of premium spirits shelf dynamics and the craft-to-national scaling playbook.
Lucas Bols USA framed the overhaul as part of a wider platform strategy encompassing portfolio development and potential strategic transactions designed to build long-term value in the U.S. market. No revenue targets or volume commitments were disclosed in connection with the announcement.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
