“These agreements represent a watershed moment for our organization,” said Jason Schladenhauffen, chief executive officer for 375 Park Avenue Spirits, in a statement. “Almost all of these brands are category leaders in their home market or on the global stage. As such, we’ve been afforded a major opportunity as the new brand stewards to lead them into the next stage of their life cycles.”

Further commenting on the appointment, Patrick Venning, global marketing director for Ballantine’s and Chivas Bros.’ Primary Scotch portfolio, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with 375 Park Avenue Spirits on this venture to develop the brands in America. It marks a new chapter in the United States for some of our most popular brands — Ballantine’s, Passport and Something Special — in a market where Scotch whisky is already hugely popular. This new partnership will allow us to actively get our whiskies into the hands of new drinkers and show what’s so exceptional about the category and these award-winning brands in particular.”

The company also has been given the exclusive right to represent J.P. Wiser’s Canadian whisky and Lamb’s rum in the United States by Corby Spirit and Wine Limited. That partnership began July 1 and will run for five years.

The portfolio expansion not only increases the number of brands the company will represent, it further solidifies the firm’s commitment to offering customers more breadth and depth of quality spirit selections, it says. BI