Alliance Against Counterfeit Spirits
 | |
| Abbreviation | AACS |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1993 |
| Type | Trade association |
| Legal status | Private company |
| Purpose | Counterfeit protection of international production of spirits |
| Headquarters | Holborn Viaduct, London, United Kingdom |
Region served | Worldwide |
| Membership | Spirits producers |
| Website | www |
The Alliance Against Counterfeit Spirits (AACS) is an anti-counterfeiting alliance that represents the world’s major international spirits-producing companies. AACS has been in operation since 1993 with the single purpose of combating the counterfeiting of distilled spirits brands.
The actions of counterfeiters can pose a direct health risk to consumers, erode legitimate tax revenues, and undermine consumer trust in well-established brands. The AACS is active in more than 20 countries and works with the brands of some of the largest spirits businesses in the world.
History
[edit]Spirits are alcoholic drinks that include distilled alcohol, such as gin, liqueurs, vodka, rum, whisky, and brandy. They are high-value products and therefore attractive to counterfeiters. Counterfeit products are sold by subterfuge by, for example, re-filling branded spirits bottles or adding dangerous ingredients which could cause problems like methanol poisoning.[1]
The AACS was set up to combat the counterfeiting of spirits around the world, which is a big industry.[2]
Partners
[edit]AACS partners own over two-thirds of the internationally-recognised spirits brands sold around the world. Partner companies produce around 300 million cases of spirits per year – around a third of the worldwide total.[3] As of 2020, there were 9 AACS partners:
- Pernod Ricard
- Brown-Forman
- Diageo
- Bacardi
- William Grant & Sons
- Tito's Vodka
- Finlandia Vodka
- Rémy Cointreau
- Suntory Global Spirits
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Illicit alcohol costs P40B in lost annual tax revenue, says alliance vs illicit trade". The Phil Biz News. February 24, 2025.
- ^ "Call to fight menace of counterfeit products in Cambodia". Khmer Times. February 24, 2023.
- ^ "protect the brands of some of the largest spirits businesses in the world". AACS. 2020.