Beam: Pinnacle bottling will stay at White Rock in Lewiston after sale

LEWISTON — Alcohol giant Beam Inc. said Wednesday it intends to keep the bottling work in Lewiston for two brands it’s buying from White Rock Distilleries.

Two days after announcing Beam would buy Pinnacle Vodka and Calico Jack brands and related assets for $605 million, a team was here greeting workers at White Rock, Beam spokeswoman Paula Erickson said.

“Pinnacle is growing so quickly, the trajectory isn’t expected to slow anytime soon,” she said. “There would be no reason to make any changes to the supply chain, because the demand is just so high.”

Details of what, if any, changes the sale means at White Rock weren’t available. The marketing director said the company had no comment.

Erickson said Beam was not buying all of White Rock Distilleries.

White Rock is a family business with more than a dozen alcohol brands. In 2007, it sold the popular Three Olives Vodka to Proximo Spirits. When it won the city of Lewiston’s Economic Achievement Award in 2010, it employed 185 people in Lewiston and more than 230 company-wide.

Erickson said she expected the sale of the two brands and the bottling facility to close in the second quarter.

“(Pinnacle) is the fastest-growing spirits brand in the United States, the fourth-largest imported vodka in the United States,” she said. “We’re absolutely thrilled to have that as part of our portfolio going forward and to have Calico Jack also, another exceptional brand.”

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