Constellation Brands Sells Nelson's Green Brier Back to Founders

Constellation Brands, the owner of Svedka and Pacifico, has sold Nelson's Green Brier Distillery back to brothers Andy and Charlie Nelson, the founders who ran it before the beverage giant took full control in 2024.

The brothers closed the buyback on Monday, according to The Spirits Business. The deal covers all of the distillery's inventory and includes a lease on its Nashville facility. A Constellation Brands spokesperson confirmed the sale to Inc.

How Constellation took over — and then let go

The ownership arc spans ten years. Constellation bought a minority stake in Nelson's Green Brier a decade ago. It moved to a majority position in 2019 and completed the takeover with full ownership in 2024, according to the source report.

The founders didn't stay through the final stage. Charlie Nelson left the business in 2023. Andy Nelson followed in 2024, the same year Constellation obtained full ownership.

That year, the brothers bought the rights to Belle Meade Bourbon and Louisa's Liqueur, two brands that had previously sat in their distillery's portfolio. They now run all of these brands under their own company, Belle Meade Spirits.

What did the founders say about the return?

Andy Nelson framed the buyback as a homecoming for a family business with deep roots. "This has been our family business dating back to the 1800s, so to have the opportunity to once again have full ownership of the brand and its storied history is extraordinarily meaningful to us," he told The Spirits Business.

The Nelson family's connection to distilling predates the modern company. The revived label carries the name of an operation the family ran generations before the brothers co-founded the current distillery.

Why is big alcohol selling?

For Constellation, the sale is a portfolio decision rather than a personal one. A spokesperson told Inc. that the transaction supports the company's "focus on the specific consumer segments, channels, and markets best positioned to drive long-term growth for our reshaped wine and spirits portfolio, and we believe Nelson's Green Brier will be well cared for by a local, family-run team connected to its roots."

The language signals a broader realignment. Constellation has been reshaping its wine and spirits holdings around segments it judges better positioned for long-term growth. Nelson's Green Brier, a regional craft distillery, no longer fits that map.

An industry expert cited by the source says the deal highlights an opportunity for independent entrepreneurs. Founders and local operators now have a window to reclaim or acquire craft brands that large beverage groups are shedding as they consolidate around higher-volume categories.

What happens next for the distillery?

The Nelson brothers regain operating control of the distillery, its inventory and its Nashville production site through the lease. They'll run it alongside Belle Meade Bourbon and Louisa's Liqueur under the Belle Meade Spirits umbrella.

The structure — founders back in charge, a local family-run team, and an established brand with 19th-century heritage — gives the distillery a continuity story that few craft producers can tell. Whether other founders get similar chances will depend on how much more of big alcohol's reshaped portfolio comes up for sale.