Building Lending Confidence in Beverage Alcohol

Entering the beverage alcohol sector requires more than a standard consumer products lens. Between the three tier system, the mix of wholesale and direct-to-consumer economics, and the long cash conversion cycle inherent to wine production, risk and return can look unfamiliar even to sophisticated lenders.

Azur Associates partnered with a large international financial institution that had not previously provided capital for beverage alcohol and needed a clear, working understanding of how the wine business functions. The bank’s team was highly capable, but the category’s structural nuances required specialized context to underwrite with confidence.

Azur provided tailored education, robust industry data, and fact-based, decision-grade insights that the bank could plug directly into its internal models. Drawing on deep category and financial expertise, the team helped translate operating realities into lender-ready assumptions, rigorously evaluated the risk profile, and clarified what “healthy” looks like for a luxury, mid-size producer. The result was a well-supported credit perspective that enabled the bank to move forward, confident the opportunity had been thoroughly vetted with the level of detail this category demands.