🥃 Sazerac Company
Privately held American spirits company of New Orleans origin, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky; Buffalo Trace, Southern Comfort, Fireball, Peychaud's.
Sazerac Company is a privately held American spirits company that originated in New Orleans; according to its website, it is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. The company states that it has 525+ brands, 18 distilling and bottling facilities and 8,000 team members.
History. The Sazerac House coffee house in New Orleans was first mentioned in the local press in 1852. In 1869 Thomas H. Handy and several employees bought it, and in 1878 he kept control of Peychaud's Bitters. In 1919, ahead of Prohibition, the business was reincorporated as the Sazerac Company, Inc. In 1948 it was acquired by Magnolia Liquor Co., owned by Malcolm Woldenberg and Stephen Goldring.
Portfolio. In 1992 Sazerac acquired the George T. Stagg Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, renamed Buffalo Trace Distillery in 1999. Since 2002 the distillery has produced Van Winkle bourbons in partnership with the Van Winkle family. In 2009 Sazerac acquired brands and facilities from Constellation Brands, including the Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown, and in 2016 Southern Comfort. The company's website also lists Blanton's, E.H. Taylor, Fireball, SVEDKA and Peychaud's.
Sites. Besides Buffalo Trace, the website names Domaine Sazerac de Segonzac in France, the Paul John distillery in Goa, India, Casa San Matías in Jalisco, Mexico, and Hawk's Rock in County Sligo, Ireland. The Sazerac House visitor center opened in New Orleans in 2019.
Why it matters to you. Sazerac is the name of a company, a classic New Orleans cocktail and a rye whiskey brand. This page explains who owns the brands, not how to make the drink. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | 1919 (Sazerac Company, Inc.); roots in the Sazerac House coffee house, New Orleans, first mentioned in 1852 |
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How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Sazerac Company → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🥃 Buffalo Trace, 🥃 Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve, 🥃 Blanton's, 🥃 Southern Comfort, 🥃 Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, 🥃 Paddy, 🥃 Peychaud's Bitters
- Previous step
- 🥃 Bardstown
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans
- Part of
- 🥃 Spirits
- Related to
- 🌍 North America
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Sazerac
Frequently asked questions
Is Sazerac only the name of a cocktail?
No. The name is also used for a classic New Orleans cocktail, a rye whiskey brand and the Sazerac Company, which according to its website has 525+ brands.
Where is Sazerac Company headquartered?
According to its website, in Louisville, Kentucky; the historical roots and the Sazerac House visitor center are in New Orleans.
Since when has Sazerac owned Buffalo Trace?
Since 1992: that year the company acquired the George T. Stagg Distillery in Frankfort; it was renamed Buffalo Trace Distillery in 1999.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🌍 North America — US and Canada: 9.5 million US cows gave 232 billion lb of milk (2025); Wisconsin makes a quarter of US cheese; Canada runs on dairy quotas.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans — The people of the United States in North America, descendants of settlers and Native peoples; their home-grown cheese is California's Monterey Jack.
- 🥃 Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve — Line of aged wheated bourbons from the Van Winkle family; the 20 year version appeared in 1994; made at Buffalo Trace (Sazerac Company).
- 🥃 Bardstown — Town in Nelson County, Kentucky (USA), known as the bourbon capital of the world: 11 distilleries within 16 miles, Heaven Hill and Barton 1792, and a bourbon festival since 1991.
Similar
🥃 Heaven Hill Brands · 🥃 Brown-Forman · 🥃 Rémy Cointreau · 🥃 Campari Group · 🥃 William Grant & Sons · 🥃 Moët Hennessy
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Sazerac: Our Story (Sazerac House 1852; Thomas H. Handy 1869; Peychaud's 1878; Sazerac Company, Inc. 1919; Magnolia Liquor Co. 1948; George T. Stagg Distillery 1992; Buffalo Trace 1999; Van Winkle partnership 2002; Barton and Glenmore 2009; Southern Comfort 2016; Sazerac House 2019; 18 facilities, 525+ brands, 8,000 team members)
- Sazerac: Our Company (privately held, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky; 525+ brands, 18 distilling and bottling facilities)
- Sazerac: Distilleries and Facilities (Domaine Sazerac de Segonzac, Paul John, Casa San Matías, Hawk's Rock)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)