Heublein
Encyclopedia
Heublein Inc. was an American
producer and distributor of alcohol
ic beverages and food throughout the 20th century. During the 1960s
and 1970s
its stock
was regarded as one of the most stable financial investments, earning it inclusion in the Nifty Fifty
.
in 1895. When the company was handed over to his son, Gilbert F Heublein, it began selling ready-made cocktails, and incorporated in 1915 in Connecticut as G.F. Heublein Inc.
In 1938 Heublein acquired all rights to Smirnoff Vodka, a brand that had been produced in Russia prior to the October Revolution
. Heublein is credited with popularizing vodka in the United States by marketing Smirnoff as "White Whiskey". Smirnoff became one of Heublein's most successful brands. Heublein also acquired distribution rights in the United States to many other international spirit, wine, and beer brands including Don Q Rum, Jose Cuervo
, Black & White
, Harvey's Bristol Cream, Irish Mist liqueur, Bell's whisky
, Guinness Stout, Lancer's wines, and Bass Ale. Heublein also held American import and distribution rights to non-alcoholic beverages such as Perrier
mineral water and Rose's Lime Juice.
Heublein's line of pre-mixed alcoholic cocktails included traditional drinks like Manhattans, martinis, stingers, sidecars, and daiquiris, as well as trendier drinks such as the popular Brass Monkey
and Hobo's Wife. In 1969, Heublein began selling some of these cocktails in eight-ounce cans. In the 1970s, Heublein introduced a new line of drinks named "Malcolm Hereford's Cow". This was a flavored, 30-proof alcoholic milk drink that was mostly popular with women and college students of both genders. It enjoyed a brief fad before vanishing into obscurity.
Heublein purchased Hamm's Brewery
in 1968, selling it to Olympia Brewing Company
in the 1970s.
It also made many acquisitions outside of the liquor market, acquiring Grey Poupon
in 1936, Kentucky Fried Chicken
in 1971, and Hart's Bakeries in 1972. In 1969, Heublein purchased a majority stake in United Vintners, which owned Inglenook
, for $100 million. That same year, Heublein also purchased Beaulieu Vineyards for $8.5 million. These acquisitions gave Heublein one of the largest winemaking operations in the United States.
, the resulting corporation, RJR Nabisco
, began selling off many of Heublein's assets. RJR Nabisco sold Kentucky Fried Chicken to Pepsico
in 1986 and sold the Heublein division and its alcoholic beverage brands to Grand Metropolitan
in 1987. In 1995, RJ Reynolds sold the Ortega Mexican foods product line.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
producer and distributor of alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
ic beverages and food throughout the 20th century. During the 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
and 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
its stock
Stock
The capital stock of a business entity represents the original capital paid into or invested in the business by its founders. It serves as a security for the creditors of a business since it cannot be withdrawn to the detriment of the creditors...
was regarded as one of the most stable financial investments, earning it inclusion in the Nifty Fifty
Nifty Fifty
Nifty Fifty was an informal term used to refer to 50 popular large cap stocks on the New York Stock Exchange in the 1960s and 1970s that were widely regarded as solid buy and hold growth stocks....
.
History
Heublein was originally founded as a restaurant and hotel business in 1862 by Andrew Heublein. They began making A1 Steak SauceA1 Steak Sauce
A1 is a steak sauce and condiment for use with meat or game dishes. It was developed in the United Kingdom as a brand in the year 1831 and was later introduced to the United States by G.F...
in 1895. When the company was handed over to his son, Gilbert F Heublein, it began selling ready-made cocktails, and incorporated in 1915 in Connecticut as G.F. Heublein Inc.
In 1938 Heublein acquired all rights to Smirnoff Vodka, a brand that had been produced in Russia prior to the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
. Heublein is credited with popularizing vodka in the United States by marketing Smirnoff as "White Whiskey". Smirnoff became one of Heublein's most successful brands. Heublein also acquired distribution rights in the United States to many other international spirit, wine, and beer brands including Don Q Rum, Jose Cuervo
Jose Cuervo
José Cuervo is a brand of tequila produced by Tequila Cuervo La Rojeña. The José Cuervo Especial brand has the highest sales of any tequila brand in theworld.- History :...
, Black & White
Black & White (whisky)
Black & White is a blended Scotch whisky. It was first produced by the London-based whisky blender founded by James Buchanan. Originally known as House of Commons , its nickname, referring to the black and white labelling, was eventually adopted as the official brand instead.The brand's motif Black...
, Harvey's Bristol Cream, Irish Mist liqueur, Bell's whisky
Bell's whisky
Bell's is a brand of blended Scotch whisky established in 1825 owned by Diageo, claimed to be the most popular blended whisky in the UK....
, Guinness Stout, Lancer's wines, and Bass Ale. Heublein also held American import and distribution rights to non-alcoholic beverages such as Perrier
Perrier
Perrier is a brand of bottled mineral water made from a spring in Vergèze in the Gard département of France. The spring is naturally carbonated...
mineral water and Rose's Lime Juice.
Heublein's line of pre-mixed alcoholic cocktails included traditional drinks like Manhattans, martinis, stingers, sidecars, and daiquiris, as well as trendier drinks such as the popular Brass Monkey
Brass Monkey (cocktail)
Brass Monkey is a name given to a number of different cocktail recipes. As with many lesser-known cocktails that are named after colloquial expressions, there are some wildly differing recipes that share the same name....
and Hobo's Wife. In 1969, Heublein began selling some of these cocktails in eight-ounce cans. In the 1970s, Heublein introduced a new line of drinks named "Malcolm Hereford's Cow". This was a flavored, 30-proof alcoholic milk drink that was mostly popular with women and college students of both genders. It enjoyed a brief fad before vanishing into obscurity.
Heublein purchased Hamm's Brewery
Hamm's Brewery
Hamm's is the name of a former American brewery in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Hamm's breweries were also found in other cities, such as San Francisco.-History:...
in 1968, selling it to Olympia Brewing Company
Olympia Brewing Company
The Olympia Brewing Company was a brewery in Tumwater, Washington which existed from 1896 until 2003.-History:Leopold Schmidt, a German immigrant from Montana founded The Capital Brewing Company at Tumwater Falls on the Deschutes River in the town of Tumwater, near the south end of Puget Sound...
in the 1970s.
It also made many acquisitions outside of the liquor market, acquiring Grey Poupon
Grey Poupon
Grey Poupon is a brand of Dijon mustard in the U.S.The brand of Dijon-style mustard was originally owned and marketed in the U.S. by the Heublein Company and now owned and manufactured by Kraft Foods. Like other Dijon mustards, Grey Poupon contains a small amount of white wine. It is made with...
in 1936, Kentucky Fried Chicken
KFC
KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
in 1971, and Hart's Bakeries in 1972. In 1969, Heublein purchased a majority stake in United Vintners, which owned Inglenook
Inglenook Winery
The Inglenook Winery produced estate bottled wines in Rutherford, California in the Napa Valley. The winery was founded in 1879 by a Finnish Sea Captain Gustave Niebaum. Niebaum died in 1908 and the winery was shut down during Prohibition...
, for $100 million. That same year, Heublein also purchased Beaulieu Vineyards for $8.5 million. These acquisitions gave Heublein one of the largest winemaking operations in the United States.
Acquisition and Selloff
In 1982, the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company acquired Heublein Inc. for $1.4 billion dollars. In the corporate reorganizations that followed the merger or R.J. Reynolds and NabiscoNabisco
Nabisco is an American brand of cookies and snacks. Headquartered in East Hanover, New Jersey, the company is a subsidiary of Illinois-based Kraft Foods. Nabisco's plant in Chicago, a production facility at 7300 S...
, the resulting corporation, RJR Nabisco
RJR Nabisco
RJR Nabisco, Inc., was an American conglomerate formed in 1985 by the merger of Nabisco Brands and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. RJR Nabisco was purchased in 1988 by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co...
, began selling off many of Heublein's assets. RJR Nabisco sold Kentucky Fried Chicken to Pepsico
PepsiCo
PepsiCo Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Purchase, New York, United States, with interests in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of grain-based snack foods, beverages, and other products. PepsiCo was formed in 1965 with the merger of the Pepsi-Cola Company...
in 1986 and sold the Heublein division and its alcoholic beverage brands to Grand Metropolitan
Grand Metropolitan
Grand Metropolitan plc is a former United Kingdom-based company operating hotels, holiday centres, entertainment centres, public houses and casinos...
in 1987. In 1995, RJ Reynolds sold the Ortega Mexican foods product line.