Cognac Ferrand

Cognac Ferrand is a French alcohol company known for its Cognac and other spirits founded in 1989. Its brands are distributed in 68 countries. In March 2017, Cognac Ferrand acquired West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados. The Landy brand, created by the company, has collaborated with Snoop Dogg in 2008 for the US market.

History
Cognac Ferrand was established in 1989 as a startup when Jean Dominique Andreu and Alexandre Gabriel who were classmates at the Institut Supérieur de Gestion in Paris were introduced to Pierre Ferrand, the owner of a Vineyard and distillery located in La Nérolle, Segonzac.

Despite having little prior knowledge of Cognac, and Wine & Spirit production Andreu and Gabriel were intrigued by the potential of the product. In 1989 with almost no capital (51,000 French Francs (equivalent to 7,775 EUR) the 3 partners decided to create Cognac Ferrand, registered the trademark Pierre Ferrand. As Ferrand could not supply enough cognac from the production of his own vineyards and distillery Gabriel and Andreu started at that time to buy bulk aged Grande Champagne cognac,  from the  Distillery Logis d’Angeac. In the mid-90s, Andreu and Gabriel recognized a growing demand for craft spirits, prompting them to diversify their production beyond cognac. Anticipating the rise of super-premium gins and high-end dark rums, they took the initiative to create innovative brands that would come to define these categories. In 1998, they introduced Citadelle, one of the first luxury gins. In 1996, the GABRIEL & ANDREU range of single growth cognacs was launched, Following suit in 1999, they introduced PLANTATION, a brand known for its rum offerings. Pierre Ferrand continued to sell bottles under the Pierre Ferrand name despite the fact that it was owned by the firm Cognac Ferrand, in which he also had a stake. He lost the infringement lawsuit against his two partners in April 2000 and was forced to relinquish his shares to his two partners, who remain the sole owners.

Jean-Dominique Andreu left the firm and sold his interests in February 2008.

The corporation also controls the Plantation Rum brand, which has global distribution in 68 countries, and manufactures Cognac and Gin in Cognac, France.

Following the Murder of George Floyd in 2020, Gabriel announced that he will change the brand name ‘Plantation’ due to its meaning and the links to slavery. In 2021, the company inaugurated a new distillery in Ars, Charente, entirely dedicated to the production of Citadelle gin.

In 2022, The Guardian 's Rachelle Ferron reminded Cognac Ferrand commitment to change the brand name "Plantation'. After considerable investment into registering new trademarks and the design work involved in rebranding the brand was officially changed to Planteray.

Through the acquisition of the West Indies Rum Distillery, Cognac Ferrand also entered the realm of Jamaican rum, with ownership stakes in the National Jamaican Rum Company, Monymusk Distillery, and Long Pond Distillery.