Square One Organic Spirits have been amassed by Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, founded and owned by entrepreneur and investor Fawn Weaver, on its 20th Anniversary.
On May 21, the leading Black-owned liquor brand in the world made another dominating move toward the University of Alabama alumna’s desire to be the most profitable Black-owned spirit business. The organization acquired Square One, a female-owned boutique organic spirits company that released the first organic rye vodka brand, according to a press release.
This will further evolve the brand as it now has vodka on its brand’s roster, and to celebrate this monumental moment, the alcohol company posted an Instagram slideshow featuring various media outlets sharing the exciting news of it adding the “eco-conscious” under its umbrellas.
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“OH, Y’ALL THOUGHT WE WERE PLAYING!!! 📣🙌🏽 When our Founder and CEO @fawn.weaver shared the vision of not just becoming the first U.S. spirits conglomerate founded by a woman and/or person of color, many thought she was just talking. But our #WhiskeyFamily knows that if Fawn says it, IT’S DONE! 💯👊🏽,” the social media announcement’s caption began.
The post continued, “Well today, we are making great strides toward this reality, announcing that Uncle Nearest, the most valuable Black-owned and founded spirit brand of all time, is making MONUMENTAL WAVES with its acquisition of the the first organic spirits company in U.S. history, @squareoneorganicspirits! 🌊🍸”
When Allison Evanow, the founder and CEO of Square One, launched the company in 2004, her innovative health and eco-friendly drinks changed the beverage industry as they were the first “exclusively USDA certified organic spirits and was the first organic rye vodka brand,” per the press release. In honor of Square One’s 20th anniversary, the brand is happy to spotlight that it’s projected to have “lifetime sales exceeding $22 million with nearly 200,000 cases.” This achievement was mainly due to the creator leading the majority of her company’s sales.
“While we have really loved being an independent brand so that we could focus on quality organic ingredients and unique flavor profiles, the intense demands of handling nearly all sales personally underscored the need for stronger backing,” Evanow said in a statement. “Uncle Nearest will not only preserve our independent spirit and world class quality, but also bring the robust sales and distribution capabilities we need to reach our full potential.”
Also mentioned in the Instagram post was the 2023 business investment Uncle Nearest made in acquiring Domaine Saint Martin. The respected estate was established in 1830 and has ties to cognac-making luminaries thus making taking a step into the world of Cognac production.
Its Instagram post read in part, “That bold move not only secured a valuable historical & production resource but also marked our audacious foray into the promising Cognac market. (T-minus 3 weeks until we begin filming the remarkable true story of Cognac with the unrivaled @jfreewright)!! 💪🏽🔥 Now, we’re adding another pillar, onto the spirit house that faith built, by entering a new market: VODKA! 🍸”
The property graces the pathway of the Charente River in Cognac, France. In addition to the grounds, nearly half of the Grande Champagne vineyards in the region, deemed the most valuable for producing Cognac, are part of the deal too, the press release states.
“In 2020, I expressed our vision for Uncle Nearest to not just be a brand, but to become the first spirits conglomerate in America founded by a woman or person of color,” Weaver said in the press release. “Many saw this as wishful thinking since we were only three years into our journey at the time.”
Through this team-up, Square One won’t change its current operations process to keep providing consumers with an authentic organic option. They will, however, be crafting and releasing a new collection of all-natural, gluten-free options for all under the direction of Evanow. The new beverages will be shared before they become available nationwide this summer.
Weaver shares her target markets care about genuinely identifying with the companies they support, so her primary priority is offering them collaborative products that fit that need.
“There is a clear demand for brands that are authentically owned and culturally resonant. Consumers are increasingly discerning, seeking products that not only deliver high quality but also maintain genuine ties to the communities they represent,” Weaver said.
