Milestone Brands

Milestone Brands is a premium spirits company headquartered in Austin, Texas, founded in February 2016 by Eric Dopkins, former CEO of Deep Eddy Vodka, and Chad Auler, co-founder of Deep Eddy Vodka. The company was established with a focused mission to acquire, innovate, and build spirit brands within the competitive premium beverage alcohol segment. Milestone Brands operates at the intersection of entrepreneurial agility and deep industry expertise, leveraging a management team that collectively brings over 80 years of experience across some of the most recognized organizations in the global beverage and spirits industry, including Diageo, Pernod-Ricard, Deep Eddy Vodka, Pabst Brewing Company, and Red Bull. This depth of experience positions the company to identify high-potential spirit brands, develop them strategically, and scale them effectively within the market. As a premium spirits platform, Milestone Brands targets the acquisition and development of brands across the distilled spirits category, with a particular emphasis on building brand equity, expanding distribution, and driving consumer engagement. The company's founders bring a proven track record in taking spirits brands from early-stage concepts to nationally recognized labels, most notably evidenced by their prior success with Deep Eddy Vodka, one of the fastest-growing vodka brands in the United States before its acquisition by Heaven Hill Brands. Based in Austin, Texas — a dynamic hub for the beverage alcohol industry — Milestone Brands benefits from proximity to a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem and a consumer market known for its openness to innovative and premium spirit offerings. The company's strategy centers on brand building through innovation, strategic marketing, and operational excellence, making it a noteworthy player in the premium spirits acquisition and development space.