Sazerac acquires Au Vodka for more than £300 million, source says

By Abigail Summerville

NEW YORK, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Spirits company Sazerac announced on Monday that it completed the acquisition of Au Vodka in a deal that a source familiar with the matter said valued the UK-based vodka and ready-to-drink brand at more than £300 million ($405 million).

The privately held American company has acquired several brands this year while pursuing a much bigger deal for its Louisville, Kentucky neighbor Brown-Forman. 

• Sazerac has a portfolio of more than 500 brands including Buffalo Trace Bourbon, BuzzBallz, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky and SVEDKA Vodka.

• The Au Vodka deal will strengthen Sazerac's presence in the UK market as it expands globally.

• Friends Charlie Morgan and Jackson Quinn founded Au Vodka in 2015 in Swansea.

• Sazerac traces its roots back to the 1850s and is owned by the Goldring family. It offered to buy Jack Daniel's whiskey maker Brown-Forman this year for $32 per share, valuing the company at about $15 billion, but the bid was rejected.

• (£1 = $1.35)

(Reporting by Abigail Summerville in New York; Editing by Will Dunham)