The closure follows unsuccessful attempts to sell the business and comes amid financial difficulties affecting the wider Amber Beverage Group. The Luxembourg-headquartered spirits company has also entered restructuring proceedings, while its Latvian operations have faced cash flow problems.
Amber Beverage UK Enters Administration after Failed Sale
Amber Beverage Group UK (ABUK), originally established in 1999 as Cellar Trends Limited, ceased trading on Monday 19 October. The company had operated in the British drinks distribution market for nearly three decades before its collapse.
According to The Spirits Business, the company’s directors filed a notice with the High Court in London on Friday 16 October to appoint Danny Dartnaill and Timothy Charles Townley of accountancy firm BDO as joint administrators. Attempts to secure a buyer before the appointment were unsuccessful. A BDO spokesperson confirmed that efforts had been made to sell the company as an operating business, but no agreement could be reached.
“The majority of the company’s 27-strong workforce have now been made redundant with immediate effect, with a small number of employees retained in the short-term to help administrators discharge their duties and realise assets for the benefit of creditors,” BDO said.
The distributor handled several established spirits brands, including Moskovskaya Vodka, Rooster Rojo Tequila, KAH Tequila, The Irishman Whiskey, Writers’ Tears Whiskey, Riga Black Balsam, Cross Keys Gin and Cosmopolitan Diva.
Its portfolio also included Stoli vodka, El Tequileño Tequila and Lind & Lime Gin. These products were distributed through retailers and supermarket chains across the UK.
Credit: Amber Beverage
Financial Difficulties Extend Across the Wider Amber Beverage Group
The collapse of the British subsidiary follows financial problems elsewhere within Amber Beverage Group, which is majority-controlled by Luxembourg-based SPI Group.
According to the same source, ABUK’s most recent accounts, filed with Companies House in January 2026, recorded losses exceeding £21.1 million for the financial year ending 31 December 2024.
The wider group’s difficulties were already apparent earlier this year. In January, Amber Beverage Latvia filed for voluntary restructuring following cash flow problems and disruption associated with a large-scale cyberattack.
Amber Beverage Group also attributed some of its difficulties to continuing legal disputes with the Russian Federation. The company said its public support for Ukraine and Europe had resulted in exclusion from several international markets. At the time, the Latvian business described its restructuring under the country’s Tiesiskās Aizsardzības Process as a reorganisation rather than liquidation.
On 28 April, Amber Beverage Group announced that it was entering judicial reorganisation proceedings under Luxembourg law. The company also confirmed negotiations with creditors after defaulting on a loan, with Swedish firm CSC acting as trustee for the relevant lenders.
The group shares a parent company with Stoli Group, which is owned by Russian-born businessman Yuri Shefler. Meanwhile, administrators are overseeing the remaining affairs of the British subsidiary, with a small number of employees temporarily retained to assist with the process.
