W.J. Deutsch & Sons, White Plains, N.Y., has created a spirits division to be overseen by Senior Vice President of Spirits Jean-Francois Bonneté. Deutsch launched the division in conjunction with its partnership with Cognac Ferrand to exclusively represent Landy Cognac in the United States. Bonneté, former president and chief executive officer of Mystique Brands LLC and the prior director of North America for Cognac Ferrand, will head up the new division.
 
“Our initial focus will be to develop a strong portfolio of spirits brands, hand-selected from suppliers who are committed to delivering premium quality, innovative products for today’s consumer,” said Chief Executive Officer Peter Deutsch. “Over the next three to five years, we will concentrate on selling these products through a committed distributor network, and applying our extensive marketing expertise to build these brands into stars of the spirits industry.”