42 Below
42 Below was the premium New Zealand vodka brand Geoff Ross and Justine Troy built from a Wellington garage and sold to Bacardi for NZ$138 million.
- Founded:
- 1999
- Location:
- Wellington, New Zealand
- Website:
- 42below.com
- Sold for:
- NZ$138 million (2006)
- Acquired by:
- Bacardi
- What they made:
- Premium New Zealand vodka
42 Below
42 Below was the premium New Zealand vodka brand Geoff Ross and Justine Troy built from a Wellington garage and sold to Bacardi for NZ$138 million.
42 Below was a premium vodka brand founded by Geoff Ross and Justine Troy in Wellington in 1999. The company built its identity on provocative marketing and a distinctly New Zealand character, distilling vodka from local ingredients and exporting it to markets the brand had no business reaching from a country with no spirits tradition.
Bacardi acquired 42 Below in 2006 for a reported NZ$138 million. The brand remains in production under Bacardi's ownership.
Why Noteworthy
42 Below was one of the first New Zealand consumer brands to sell to a global multinational at scale. The exit remains a reference point for NZ founders thinking about what it means to sell a brand you built, and what happens to it after you leave.
