Top Shelf International has revealed that its Act of Treason Australian Agave Spirit will be ranged nationally with Endeavour Group’s two retail banner groups. The new partnership will come into effect from mid July and will include ranging across all Dan Murphy’s stores along with selected BWS stores aligned with consumer tequila/agave consumption.
The new ranging partnership marks Top Shelf International’s first major retail distribution agreement and hopes to support the brand’s ongoing efforts to increase its on-premise presence. Top Shelf International’s CEO Trent Fraser said, “we are grateful for the opportunity to showcase Act of Treason in Dan Murphy’s and BWS as our first retail partnership and look forward to working with the Endeavour team on a successful, ongoing relationship.”
To date, Top Shelf International’s on-premise work has been centred in key strategic locations on Australia’s east coast, including in Sydney, Brisbane, Whitsundays, and Melbourne. Its Act of Treason brand has also been gathering momentum after having received significant international accolades including gold medals at the 2024 International Wine and Spirit Competition and the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition along with being named the World’s Best Speciality Spirit at the 2024 World Drinks Awards.
Upon releasing its first product, the Act of Treason First Harvest Blanco, in January this year, Top Shelf sold through its entire stock within 24 hours of going on sale.
“We have been overwhelmed by the response to Act of Treason since it was launched in January,” said Fraser.
“This announcement, along with the recent gold medals in San Francisco and London, are significant milestones in our ambition to build an Australian Agave category led by Act of Treason.”
Today’s announcement of national ranging with Endeavour Group reflects the significant investment that Top Shelf International has put into its Act of Treason Queensland brand. In April, the pressures of this investment saw the ASX-listed company announce a $5 million sale and leaseback deal on its Eden Lassie agave farm to help combat debt.
Through its Act of Treason project, Top Shelf International’s Act of Treason brand is hoping to establish the foundations for a domestic agave spirit category.
“Act of Treason symbolises the pioneering spirit of a project that will create a new region of agave spirit,” said Fraser.
“The dry tropics of north Queensland are the ideal place for that to occur.”
The announcement also comes at a time of significant growth for tequila, which has a predicted CAGR of 7-9% up until 2027. This forecast has led brands such as Campari to re-evaluate their tequila brands as global priorities.
Earlier in the year, Campari’s CEO Bob Kunze-Concewitz said, “Australia is a major growth market, and … we see a lot of positive momentum in Mexico with the development of the cristalino segment for Espolòn.”
