June 16, 2026 (Saint Paul, MN) — Johnson Brothers, a leading family-owned distributor of wine, spirits, and beer, today announced a new partnership with Sovereign Brands across Indiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Founded in 1999, Sovereign Brands is a family-owned company that has built a reputation for developing distinctive, culture-driven wine and spirits brands with enduring consumer appeal and global recognition. Their portfolio includes Luc Belaire sparkling wine; Bumbu, the world’s #1 selling super premium rum brand*; The Deacon Scotch whisky; McQueen and the Violet Fog Brazilian gin, and Villon, a French spiced liqueur.
“Adding Sovereign Brands to our portfolio represents an exciting opportunity to continue building momentum in premium wine and spirits,” said Yale Johnson, President of Sales, Johnson Brothers. “These brands have developed strong consumer followings and complement our existing portfolio exceptionally well. We look forward to growing the business together across Indiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.”
“Johnson Brothers has an impressive track record of growing premium brands and creating value in the markets they serve, making them an ideal partner for us,” said Brian Berish, Chief Operating Officer, Sovereign Brands. “We’re excited to work alongside their team to unlock more opportunity for us across pivotal markets.”
About Johnson Brothers
Johnson Brothers is a third-generation, family-owned wine, beer, and spirits distributor founded in 1953 by Lynn Johnson in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Guided by its founding values of work ethic, teamwork, excellence, innovation, passion, and integrity, the company partners with top-tier suppliers to deliver a world-class portfolio and exceptional service to customers across 25 states. The company was recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s Most Trustworthy Companies for three consecutive years (2023–2025). Learn more at johnsonbrothers.com | LinkedIn | Instagram.
About Sovereign Brands
Sovereign Brands is a family-owned, global wine and spirits company headquartered in Highland Park, IL. Owned and operated by the Berish family and partners, Sovereign Brands brings together first-class producers from the world’s most celebrated wine and spirit regions to deliver best-in-class brands. The company’s portfolio of category-defining brands includes Luc Belaire, a smash-hit line of French sparkling wines that has earned global acclaim for its exquisite taste and striking packaging and is available in more than 100 countries worldwide. The portfolio also includes Bumbu which ranks as the world’s #1 selling super-premium rum; McQueen and the Violet Fog, an extraordinary gin from Jundiaí, Brazil, and Villon, a rich, spiced French liqueur with tantalizing notes of vanilla, chai and toasted oak, and The Deacon, a premium blended Scotch Whisky made of Islay and Speyside malts. Please visit www.sovereignbrands.com for more information.
*Based on IWSR Global Database 2025 and 2026 in volume and value for 2024 and 2025 for “Super Premium Rum” – re: Bumbu The Original and Bumbu XO
