THE GROUP OUR BRANDS NEWS CAREERS CONTACT LINKEDIN PRESS ENGLISH HomeThe GroupOur history Our history The history of the LA MARTINIQUAISE-BARDINET is a true story of success which began in 1934 when French visionary Jean Cayard started selling wine and spirits in France. It is a story of passion and entrepreneurship, of a dynamic and modern company that has ceaselessly grown in France and, for some years now, abroad, where it continues to write new chapters in its history. 1934 1946 1956 1960s 1969 1975 1976 1977 1987 1993 2001 2003 2004 2005 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2017 2019 2020 1934 Jean Cayard founds the company LA MARTINIQUAISE, dedicated to the import and distribution of Rum. 1946 LA MARTINIQUAISE diversifies into the sale of Cognac, Calvados, Kirsch, Madeira, Port and Sweet Wines. 1956 Launch of PORTO CRUZ, which quickly becomes a market leader with a series of memorable advertising campaigns. 1960s The Group experiences major growth: “With the development of mass retail, we knew we were entering an exciting period of change that we wanted to be part of.” Jean Cayard 1969 Launch of the international Scotch Whisky brand LABEL 5. 1975 Acquisition of the Gran Cruz company in Portugal. 1976 Acquisition of the Armagnac SAINT-VIVANT. 1977 Acquisition of the Portuguese Madeira wine company JUSTINO HENRIQUES. 1987 Acquisition of the brand FLORANIS, the authentic Gras brothers anisette. 1993 The leading Rum and Cocktail company Bardinet joins the group, bringing its flagship brands NEGRITA, DILLON and OLD NICK. 2001 PORTO CRUZ becomes the No. 1 Port in the world. 2003 Acquisition of the prestigious Martinique AOC pure cane agricole rums SAINT JAMES and BALLY. Acquisition of the Calvados distillery BUSNEL. 2004 Opening of the First Blending Company in Bathgate, Scotland, the maturation and bottling site for the Group’s Scotch Whiskies. Inauguration of the new sweet wines site in Rivesaltes, France. 2005 Launch of LA MARTINIQUAISE Vietnam. 2007 Acquisition of GRANDES DISTILLERIES PEUREUX, a European leader in fruit eau-de-vie and owner of the brands GRIOTTINES and LA CIGOGNE. Acquisition of a stake in Distillerie de la Tour. Acquisition of C. Da Silva, the Port producer founded in 1862, known for the brands DALVA and PRESIDENTIAL and its exceptional COLHEITAS. 2008 Acquisition of the Scottish Single Malt Distillery GLEN MORAY in Elgin, Speyside, Scotland. POLIAKOV becomes the top-selling Vodka in France. 2009 Acquisition of the leading brands DUVAL, CASANIS and L’HÉRITIER-GUYOT, ST RAPHAËL, VALAURIA and the Gentian AVÈZE. Acquisition of Bruggeman, Belgium’s top Genever producer. Acquisition of REPAIRE DE BACCHUS, which today owns around 40 wine merchants in and around Paris. Acquisition of the brand CARAIBOS, a fruit juice and nectar brand popular with bar professionals. 2011 POLIAKOV joins the millionaire’s club, selling over one million nine-litre cases worldwide per year. Acquisition of the MASSENEZ eau-de-vie distillery. Acquisition of the SMEETS brand, the No. 1 Genever in Hasselt, further strengthening Bruggeman’s leading position. 2012 Acquisition of the company Quartier Français Spiritueux. The Group becomes the leader in non-alcoholic aperitifs, acquires the RIVIÈRE DU MÂT distillery on Reunion Island, and bolsters its European network with the Italian company Dilmoor. Opening of the Espaço Porto Cruz, a multimedia centre celebrating PORTO CRUZ’s expertise and Portugal’s contemporary art. 2014 Acquisition of a stake in the Dutch group Inspirits (DUJARDIN, OLIFANT). Acquisition of the online retail site WINE & CO. Acquisition of the Spanish Gin brand GIRO. 2015 Acquisition of the Spanish Cava brand MONT MARÇAL and the Italian Prosecco wine brand PERLINO, further developing the Group’s portfolio of Sparkling Wines. Acquisition of the Douro Valley vineyard Quinta de Ventozelo in Portugal. 2016 Acquisition of the company MASCARIN on Reunion Island, active in the chocolate, sugar and rum sector. 2017 Following the acquisition of shares in 2014, takeover of the entire Inspirits company, including the Genever brand OLIFANT, consolidating the LA MARTINIQUAISE’s position in the Netherlands. 2019 Acquisition of the iconic CUTTY SARK Scotch Whisky, a major step forward to accelerate our international expansion. “This acquisition is a major step forward to accelerate our international expansion. It will further strengthen our position in Europe and boost our presence in key markets such as the US and Japan.” Jean-Pierre Cayard said 2020 Acquisition of the international brand of Crème de Cassis LEJAY. Creator of Crème de Cassis in 1841, it enables the Group to support its worldwide position as a leader in the production of cassis liqueurs. © La Martiniquaise 2021 Terms and conditions Privacy policy Privacy policyOkNoLearn more FR EN ES Welcome to the website of LA MARTINIQUAISE This site is exclusively reserved for adults. I certify that I am of legal drinking age in my country of residence. YES NO