Corby Spirit and Wine Limited (CSW-A-T) experienced a record 2026, which included a 10-per-cent rise in revenue and a five-per-cent boost in EBITDA.

During its recent year-end earnings call, the Toronto-based alcoholic beverages producer pointed to a specific segment that drove the growth.

“Despite a challenging market, fiscal 2026 was very much a record year for Corby, with a strong top-line growth, continued momentum in RTDs (ready-to-drink), and further market share gains in spirits,” Florence Tresarrieu, president and chief executive officer with Corby, said.

“RTD now represents 40 per cent of Corby’s revenue, making us one of the leading Canada-wide players in this very fast-growing category.”

This strong performance is even more impressive when compared to its market peers, according to Tresarrieu.

“Corby continued to outperform the RTD category nationally with our strong innovation performance and expanded distribution, and maintain its position as the number-one brand in RTD in Ontario.”

‘Double-digit revenue growth’

Revenue rose to $271.6 million, an increase of $24.9 million over the previous year’s results, despite a one-per-cent loss in fourth quarter cash flow to $71.1 million.

Its earnings came in strong for the fourth quarter. It reported net earnings of $33.4 million and adjusted net earnings of $35.1 million in the quarter, representing an increase of 22 per cent and 15 per cent respectively, on a year-over-year basis.

“We delivered double-digit revenue growth, with net sales increasing 10 per cent on a reported basis, and 11 per cent organically, driven by continually maintaining RTDs and ongoing market share gains in spirits,” she said.

Overall, the company delivered $67.5 million in adjusted EBITDA for the full year.

Impact of less U.S. competition on shelves

Its good results were also driven in part by political decisions made by Canadian provincial governments.

“These results reflect the strength of our portfolio and the consistency of our execution across both spirits and RTD. Strong sales execution drove market share gains across our portfolio, supported in part by the removal of U.S. origin products from shelves,” Tresarrieu said.

The company shed one of its brands, Lamb's rum, on Aug. 5, for $39.2 million.

“It is very much consistent with our long-term strategy of simplifying the portfolio to drive growth and shareholder value. This sharpens our focus on priority growth platforms while freeing up capital and resources for higher return opportunities,” she said.

Lamb’s was sold to Maison des Futailles, a subsidiary of Phildan Inc., and Glen Turner Company Limited, a subsidiary of COFEPP SAS.

While it dropped the Lamb’s brand, Corby doubled down on another investment during the quarter.

“We increased our ownership of Ace Beverage Group (ABG) to 95 per cent and exited non-core RTD and B brands, further streamlining the business and sharpening ABG’s strategic focus, which delivered strong momentum, growing volume 14.3 per cent while the category declined 2.7 per cent, demonstrating again the strength of our portfolio and our brands.”

The company purchased a stake in ABG in 2023, and it includes such brands as Cottage Springs, Ace Hill, Cabana Coast, Liberty Village and Good Vines.

Earlier in 2026, the company inked a deal with Canada Dry Mott’s Inc. to distribute Mott's Clamato, Snapple, Tahiti Treat, and Hires RTD brands in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, through its ABG susidiary.

Renewed relationship with Pernod Ricard

During the meeting, the firm also pointed to a strong commitment from one of its major shareholders.

“We’ve renewed our representation agreement with Pernod Ricard for a further three years to September 2029, with the potential for an additional two-year extension after that, subject to the terms of the agreement. This renews our exclusive Canadian rights to represent key brands, including Absolut, Jameson, and The Glenlivet,” Tresarrieu said.

Pernot Ricard owns a controlling interest in Corby, which it acquired in 2005.