The origin of the British giant group lies in 1961, when the three large English beer breweries Ind Coope (including Victoria Wine), Tetley Walker and Ansells were united to form the company "Allied Breweries". Further takeovers followed before the company was renamed "Allied-Lyons PLC" in 1981. In 1986, the division "Allied Vintners" was founded. In 1987, Hiram-Walker was acquired, adding further important spirit brands. Through the purchase of the Spanish sherry house Domecq in 1994, the wine division was expanded extensively. The company now traded under the new name "Allied Domecq" with headquarters in Bristol (England). Finally, in 2002, "Allied Domecq" went public on the New York Stock Exchange under the name "AED". At that time, the portfolio included about 20 brands of spirits and liqueurs, wineries in Spain, California and Argentina, and a restaurant chain.
The company was taken over by the French beverage multinational Pernod Ricard in 2005. For antitrust reasons, the spirits portfolio had to be shared with the US group Fortune Brands and, to some extent, the second major British beverage multinational Diageo. The Domecq brand, the Domecq sherry and brandy brands, the Spanish wineries Domecq Bodegas, as well as Domecq in Mexico were taken over by Pernod Ricard. In early 2008, Pernod Ricard sold the sherry and brandy brands on to Osborne. The Domecq brand "Fundador", as well as Cockburn and Harvey's went to Fortune Brands. Nevertheless, Allied Domecq is still one of the largest wine and spirits companies in the world.
