Rabbit Hole Distillery Partners with Pernod-Ricard, One of The World’s Largest Spirits Companies

Rabbit Hole Distillery, a high-end whiskey and bourbon maker led by Endeavor Entrepreneur Kaveh Zamanian, has entered into a strategic partnership with Pernod Ricard, one of the world’s largest spirit companies. Zamanian, Rabbit Hole’s founder, will maintain his shares in Rabbit Hole and will continue to operate the company.

Founded in 2012, Rabbit Hole is a Kentucky-based bourbon and whiskey distiller inspired by modern approaches to whiskey making. Rabbit Hole currently has a presence across nine states in the country, including a newly launched 55,000 square foot distillery ( the 16th largest bourbon distillery in the world), designed by architect Doug Pierson, in downtown Louisville. Rabbit Hole’s spirits were recognized at the NY International Spirits Competition in 2017 with the Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey taking home “Best in Show” while the Kentucky Straight Rye was a “Double Gold” winner.

Rabbit Hole joined the Endeavor network in May 2018 at the 79th International Selection Panel (ISP) held in Louisville, Kentucky, where Zamanian was selected as an Endeavor Entrepreneur. Since selection, Zamian has taken advantage of everything Endeavor has to offer, embracing not only the resources, but also Endeavor’s values.

“Endeavor has been a very rewarding investment, not only when it comes to scaling my business, but also as it relates to deepening my expertise as an entrepreneur,” said Zamanian. “The networking aspect has been particularly helpful, and the connections I’m making through Endeavor are paying dividends to my business. As Rabbit Hole continues to grow, I look forward to tapping into deeper layers of opportunity through Endeavor.”

Over the years, various different spirit companies have expressed interest to Zamanian about potential partnerships, and although it was always humbling for him to have been approached, a partnership wasn’t something he’d considered. That was until he met with Alexandre Ricard, the CEO of Pernod Ricard. For Zamanian and Ricard, the spirits industry is about so much more than just products — it’s about inspiring and bringing people together. Both Pernod Ricard and Rabbit Hole share the same spirit and beyond than that, both companies are fully aligned in their values and cultures.

Pernod Ricard was drawn to the passion, creativity, the innovation Zamanian and his team bring to the spirits business, and the tremendous potential they see in Rabbit Hole; in a statement to Reuters, Alexandre said of the partnership, “This is the perfect implementation of our long-term investment strategy to create sustainable value.”

With Pernod Ricard now onboard and with Zamanian’s continued leadership, Rabbit Hole’s distribution will expand, with the goal of connecting with spirits lovers throughout the world. However, this exciting partnership and the growth it will facilitate will not change the core of Rabbit Hole; Zamanian’s dreams for the future of Rabbit Hole, and the brand’s American whiskies remain the same. The way that Zamanian and his team make whiskey, and the creativity, passion and innovation that Rabbit Hole brings to the spirits business will continue to be the heart of the brand’s story, exactly as it has always been.