As Stock Spirits celebrates its 140th anniversary in 2024, the company’s journey reflects an enduring legacy shaped by adaptation and growth through significant historical challenges. Founded in 1884 by Italian entrepreneur Lionello Stock and his partner Carlo Camise in Trieste, the brand’s origins stem from an innovative response to a supply gap. Observing a shortage of French cognac due to a pest infestation in vineyards, Lionello realised the potential to distil similar products locally. This insight led to the establishment of the Distilleria a vapore Camis & Stock, producing Cognac Stock Medicinal, a drink marketed with perceived health benefits that helped it gain popularity even among more conservative consumers.
The 20th century brought both expansion and adversity. By 1935, Stock Spirits was a leading spirits producer in Europe, with its Cognac Stock Medicinal joined by other varieties like the 1884 Cognac Fine Champagne, later known as Brandy Stock 8. Post-World War I, Lionello expanded his business internationally, opening production facilities in Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Egypt, and reaching markets in the USA and Brazil. However, the disruptions of the Second World War proved challenging for the company’s operations.
After Lionello’s death in 1948, the company rebranded as Stock S.p.A. in 1949, reviving its growth through innovative advertising on new media platforms like radio and television, which allowed the brand to establish a broader international presence. Changes continued as Stock Spirits moved into new ownership under German firm Eckes A.G. in 1995 and was later acquired by the American investment fund Oaktree Capital Management in 2007. In a move to strengthen its market position, Stock merged with Polish company Polmos Lublin in 2008 to form the London-based Stock Spirits Group, eventually going public on the London Stock Exchange in 2013.
In November 2021, CVC Capital Partners acquired Stock Spirits, resulting in its delisting from the LSE. The company continued to expand its portfolio, and in 2023, Stock Spirits made strategic acquisitions, including Polmos Bielsko-Biala in Poland and Scotch whisky brand Clan Campbell in France.
Today, Stock Spirits employs more than 1,800 people across Europe, with a presence in nine European countries and eight production facilities. Its diverse portfolio includes over 80 brands sold across more than 50 countries worldwide, making it a leading spirits producer in Central Europe. The company’s 140th anniversary honours its storied past while looking toward a future of growth and continued innovation.