Borco-Marken-Import

Borco-Marken-Import was a Hamburg-based German spirits producer, bottler and importer whose corporate parent was BORCO Beteiligungs- und Verwaltungs GmbH. Its main operating subsidiary, Borco-Marken-Import Matthiesen GmbH & Co. KG, was founded in 1948 when the Matthiesen family took over the Hamburg spirits house Borm & Co. and established the Borco company. Over the following decades Borco grew into one of Germany's largest spirits distributors, with a net annual turnover of around 200 million euros in 2016, ranking fifth in the German spirits market behind Pernod Ricard, Diageo, Beam Deutschland and Diversa Spezialitäten. Borco's business combined proprietary brands with agency distribution. Its best-known own brands included Sierra Tequila, Sierra Antiguo and Sierra Milenario (with roughly 75% share of the German tequila segment and exports to about 90 countries), Old Pascas rum, Canarío Cachaça, Finsbury Gin, Helbing Kümmel, Helbing Aquavit and Helbing Margarete's Doppelwacholder, as well as Pennypacker bourbon, Dean's blended Scotch, Pascall fruit brandies, Pâpidoux Calvados and Cassissée crème de cassis. It also imported and distributed third-party brands in Germany and Austria, including Chartreuse, Zubrowka, Stroh, Disaronno, Tia Maria, Yeni Raki and Nikka whiskies. Until 2022 it was the exclusive German distributor for Roust Inc.'s Russian Standard, Green Mark, Parliament and Kauffman vodkas, a relationship ended after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The company was headquartered in Hamburg, moving from Altona to Bahrenfeld in 1979, where administration and production remained until 2023. It established an Austrian branch in Vienna in 1996 and later a joint venture with Kattus Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH. After a major restructuring from late 2020 that cut the portfolio from nearly 80 brands to around 40 and reduced staff, the Matthiesen family sold all shares to the Czech Stock Spirits Group in June 2023; the acquisition completed in September 2023. The Borco name disappeared in March 2024 in favour of Stock, and in September 2025 Stock announced plans to move the acquired Hamburg production operation to the Czech Republic by early 2027.

The history of Borco-Marken-Import began in 1948, when the Matthiesen family took over the Hamburg spirits house Borm & Co. and founded the Borco company. In 1972 the business was expanded and renamed Borco-Marken-Import Matthiesen GmbH & Co. KG, and with the bourbon whiskey Pennypacker the company brought its first own product to market. In 1974 Borco acquired the Helbing Brennerei, including the traditional Helbing spirits brand, from Deutsche Hefewerke GmbH. In 1979 the company moved from Hamburg-Altona to Bahrenfeld, where its headquarters with administration and production remained until 2023. In 1981 Borco began distributing Sierra Tequila, which became the German market leader the following year. In 1993 it bought the Finsbury Distillery Company Ltd., a gin producer founded in 1740. The family business remained in the possession of the Matthiesen family until 2023, although from 2014 Markus Kramer became the first non-family manager to lead the company. From 1 April 2019 Markus Kohrs-Lichte and Kay Engelke-Engfeld led the company as chairmen of the management board; the authorised general partner was BORCO Beteiligungs- und Verwaltungs GmbH. In 1996 a branch was established in Vienna, Austria. In April 2019 a joint venture was founded between Borco and Kattus Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH, operating as Kattus-Borco Vertriebs-GmbH with its seat in Vienna to distribute both companies' brands in Austria. Before a major restructuring began at the end of 2020, which resulted in a large portfolio reduction and staff cuts, Borco employed around 200 people in Germany and Austria. By the end of 2022, after the restructuring, Borco had around 40 brands in its portfolio, down from nearly 80 at the end of 2020; the Borco-developed brand Paloma Lemonade was sold to Columbus Drinks GmbH. One of its most important partnerships, with Roust Inc. of Russian oligarch Rustam Tariko for the exclusive German import and distribution of Russian Standard, Green Mark, Parliament and Kauffman vodkas, ended on 30 September 2022 following the German retail boycott of Russian products and German sanctions after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. On 6 July 2023 the company announced that the owner family Matthiesen had sold all shares to the Czech company Stock in June, subject to antitrust approval. Stock Spirits Group announced in September 2023 that the purchase had been fully completed after the contract was signed in June 2023 and the necessary regulatory approvals were obtained. Manuel Janisch initially became managing director after the sale, replaced at the beginning of 2024 by Nicolas Rampf. In March 2024 the Borco name disappeared in favour of Stock; at that time around 130 employees were still with Borco. In September 2025 Stock announced plans to relocate the production operation taken over from Borco from Hamburg to the Czech Republic by early 2027.

• 2025

  Stock announces relocation of the former Borco production from Hamburg to the Czech Republic by early 2027.

• 2024

  Borco name disappears in favour of Stock in March; Nicolas Rampf becomes managing director.

• 2023

  Matthiesen family sells all shares to Stock Spirits; acquisition completed in September.

• 2022

  Partnership with Roust Inc. for Russian vodka brands ends on 30 September; portfolio down to around 40 brands.

• 2020

  Major restructuring begins at the end of the year, with portfolio reduction and staff cuts.

• 2019

  From 1 April, Markus Kohrs-Lichte and Kay Engelke-Engfeld lead as chairmen; joint venture Kattus-Borco Vertriebs-GmbH founded in April.

• 2014

  Markus Kramer becomes the first non-family manager to lead the company.

• 1996

  Branch established in Vienna, Austria.

• 1993

  Borco buys Finsbury Distillery Company Ltd., a gin producer founded in 1740.

• 1981

  Distribution of Sierra Tequila begins; it becomes German market leader the following year.

• 1979

  Move from Hamburg-Altona to Bahrenfeld, where headquarters and production remain until 2023.

• 1974

  Borco acquires Helbing Brennerei and the Helbing spirits brand from Deutsche Hefewerke GmbH.

• 1972

  Business expanded and renamed Borco-Marken-Import Matthiesen GmbH & Co. KG; first own product Pennypacker bourbon launched.

• 1948

  Matthiesen family takes over Hamburg spirits house Borm & Co. and founds Borco.

One of Germany's leading spirits distributors and brand owners, combining proprietary heritage brands with exclusive agency imports for the German and Austrian markets.

• Sierra Tequila

  Flagship tequila brand with about 75% share of the German tequila segment and exports to around 90 countries.

• Sierra Antiguo Tequila

  Tequila line within the Sierra brand family.

• Sierra Milenario Tequila

  Premium tequila line within the Sierra brand family.

• Finsbury Gin

  Gin brand from Finsbury Distillery Company Ltd., founded in 1740 and acquired by Borco in 1993.

• Helbing Kümmel

  Traditional kümmel brand acquired with the Helbing Brennerei in 1974.

• Helbing Aquavit

  Aquavit brand within the Helbing portfolio.

• Helbing Margarete's Doppelwacholder

  Double juniper spirit brand within the Helbing portfolio.

• Old Pascas

  Rum brand owned by Borco.

• Canarío Cachaça

  Cachaça brand owned by Borco.

• Pennypacker

  Bourbon whiskey, Borco's first own product launched in 1972.

• Dean's

  Blended Scotch whisky brand owned by Borco.

• Pascall

  Fruit brandy brand owned by Borco.

• Pâpidoux

  Calvados brand owned by Borco.

• Cassissée

  Crème de cassis with about 90% market share in Germany.

1. 1Stock Spirits (German homepage)stockspirits.com
2. 2Über uns - Stock Spiritsstockspirits.com
3. 3Erbe - Stock Spiritsstockspirits.com
4. 4Brands - Stock Spiritsstockspirits.com
5. 5Borco-Marken-Import - Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Borco-Marken-Import - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org