The Deal

Next Century Spirits (NCS), a Zebulon, North Carolina-based distilled spirits and marketing company, has acquired a portfolio of brand assets from Grain & Barrel Spirits, adding four labels and two Kentucky tasting-room properties to a house of brands that already spans rum, vodka, tequila, gin, and whiskey.

The transaction centers on Chicken Cock Whiskey, a heritage bourbon and rye brand founded in Paris, Kentucky, in 1856 and revived commercially in 2012. Additional labels crossing to NCS include Dixie Southern Vodka, Elvis Whiskey, and E.G. Booz. Financial terms were not disclosed. STS Capital Partners acted as sell-side adviser, with Partner and Managing Director Smoke Wallin leading the negotiations.

Kentucky Footprint

Beyond the liquid assets, the deal hands NCS two physical destinations in the American whiskey heartland. The Circa 1856 Bardstown venue — opened in 2024 inside one of the oldest residences in the self-styled Bourbon Capital of the World — offers tastings, cocktails, and retail. A second location, Circa 1856 Louisville, opened in 2025 in the NuLu neighborhood and operates as a sipping room and speakeasy. For NCS, headquartered outside the major distilling corridors, the Kentucky presence marks its first on-the-ground foothold in a state that produces roughly 95.0% of the world's bourbon supply, giving the company direct-to-consumer touchpoints that are increasingly valuable as spirits brands compete for experiential engagement.

"We're betting on a brand that stands out in a category where distinctive, authentic stories are winning," said Anthony Moniello, Chief Executive Officer of Next Century Spirits. "Together, the Circa 1856 locations give us a physical home in Kentucky and a direct way to introduce more drinkers to the brand's history and taste."

Portfolio and Governance

With the Grain & Barrel labels absorbed, NCS now operates roughly 14 owned brands, ranging from Blue Chair Bay Rum and Pocho Fino Tequila to Bear Fight American Whiskey and Creek Water American Whiskey. The company has accumulated more than 35 gold medals in industry competitions and has been named North Carolina Distillery of the Year for three consecutive years by the New York International Spirits Competition — a competitive credential that supports its private-label and bulk-supply business alongside its owned portfolio.

The acquisition also reshapes NCS's boardroom. Grain & Barrel Founder and CEO Matti Anttila will join the NCS board, maintaining continuity of brand stewardship for Chicken Cock. Damon DeSantis, a director of Celsius Holdings and INBP and former CEO of Rexall Sundown, also joins the board, adding cross-sector investor experience. Matthew Bronfman, NCS Chairman, framed both appointments as additive to the company's growth trajectory.

The American whiskey segment has drawn sustained acquisition interest as larger spirits conglomerates and well-capitalised independents alike pursue heritage provenance and premium positioning. Chicken Cock's documented history — including early international shipments from Bourbon County and a documented presence during Prohibition at New York's Cotton Club — provides the kind of verifiable narrative that commands shelf and menu premiums in on-premise and off-premise channels. For operators and retailers evaluating the NCS portfolio, the addition of Chicken Cock's award-winning Kentucky Straight Bourbon and Kentucky Straight Rye, alongside its limited-release program, broadens the company's reach into the higher-margin premium and ultra-premium whiskey tiers, segments that have outperformed the broader spirits category in recent years. Distributors carrying existing NCS brands will likely see the Grain & Barrel labels follow similar routing, though NCS has not commented on distribution integration timelines.

For related coverage of spirits M&A and the premiumization trend reshaping the beverage alcohol market, see our analysis of craft spirits consolidation and American whiskey category trends.

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.