Antique, a traditional Croatian herbal liqueur with origins dating back to the 19th century, will officially join the BCI portfolio of Terroir brands beginning June 1, the company announced.
BCI, a leading force in premium and artisanal spirits, confirmed the integration in a recent press release, positioning Antique for aggressive growth in the U.S. bitters category. The brand was initially introduced to the U.S. market in 2022.
“We are excited to welcome Badel into our family of partners in the U.S. market,” said Jean-François Bonneté, founder and president of BCI. “Our company is doing extremely well in the bitters category right now, and we know Antique has strong potential. We intend to put it on a fast growth trajectory, as we have done with our other brands.”
Originally created in 1862 by Franjo Pokorny, Antique Pelinkovac is crafted using a blend of over 40 Mediterranean herbs, with wormwood—known as “pelin” in Croatian—as its signature botanical. The liqueur is produced through cold maceration and copper pot distillation, yielding a bittersweet, aromatic profile. The original formulation was lost during World War II and revived in 2012 using a rediscovered recipe and a recreated version of its historic bottle.
Darko Knez, owner and CEO of Badel, the brand’s Croatian producer, expressed confidence in the partnership. “We are very excited to start this new chapter with BCI. The company has a great track record in building successful brands via organic and thoughtful strategies, and we know that by working closely and supporting these efforts, we will create a great success in the U.S.,” Knez stated.
BCI plans to expand Antique’s presence across 30 U.S. states in partnership with its national distributor network. The rollout includes a comprehensive marketing campaign set to launch in July 2025, the appointment of a full-time U.S. National Brand Ambassador based in New York City, and a series of trade and consumer-focused initiatives. These will include cocktail programs, bartender training sessions, and branded events aimed at building awareness and engagement within the mixology community.
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