Ballantine’s Wins Top Gold at Prestigious International Spirits Competition

Ballantine’s, the No 1 whisky in Europe, has been awarded a Gold ‘Best in Class’ medal by the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) 2011, for one of its aged range expressions – Ballantine’s 17 Year Old.

Ballantine’s offers the most comprehensive and innovative range of aged blended Scotch whiskies available. Ballantine’s 17 Year Old is an ultra-premium brand with a deep complex flavour and is regarded as the Scotch whisky by consumers in the Far East.

Often recognised for its quality credentials, the expression was named Scotch Blend of the Year 2010 by Jim Murray in his Whisky Bible, which is widely regarded as the world’s most influential book on whiskies from around the world. This years IWSC judges followed suit, referring to it as a ‘charming and refined’ whisky with a ‘gorgeous floral nose’ and ‘long, lingering finish.’

Peter Moore, Global Brand Director, Ballantine’s comments: “This is an outstanding achievement for our Master Blender Sandy Hyslop. His skill and dedication to blending is second to none, and we are delighted that he and his blends continue to be recognised and celebrated by industry leaders such as the IWSC judges.”

The IWSC was founded in 1969 to promote and reward the quality and excellence of the world’s best wines, spirits and liqueurs. Winners are selected following a rigorous two-stage judging process of professional blind tasting and a detailed technical analysis. The competition is backed by a group of vice-presidents made up of the most influential individuals in the trade and a judging panel of industry experts. This year’s competition received entries from almost 80 countries.

Notes:

Chivas Brothers
Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits. Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth Gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport.

In July 2010, Chivas Brothers launched The Age Matters campaign to help consumers understand the importance of Scotch whisky age statements.

For further information visit: www.chivasbrothers.com

• Glenglassaugh distillery’s “Chosen Few” launches
• Visitor centre refurbishment under way

Glenglassaugh distillery at Portsoy on the picturesque Moray firth coast proudly announce the release of the first bottling from their “Chosen Few” series of single cask expressions. The Chosen Few series, explains Ronnie Routledge, Customer Account Manager for Glenglassaugh, allowed our team, based here at the distillery, the opportunity to sample various casks from our small portfolio to discover his or her favourite cask of Glenglassaugh Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky and get the once-in-a-lifetime experience of having it bottled with their own name on the label.

The team of ten have each given an indication of which whisky they would like to bottle and we will release these over the next 2 – 3 years. Some of them are carefully watching casks of spirit which we distilled and laid down after re-opening the distillery in November 2008 and anxiously wait for them to mature into whisky, while others prefer the greatly aged Glenglassaugh whiskies. “I was very privileged to be asked to choose the first release which is one of the finest single malts I have ever tasted and I’ve tried an awful lot”, says Routledge who is well known in the whisky industry, is a “Keeper of the Quaich” and ex whisky judge. “This particular expression delivers everything I look for in well-balanced single malts: complexity, depth, tropical fruit in abundance, chocolate and good sherry character, balanced perfectly with oak spice”.

This very limited expression of only 654 bottles is from a 1976 vintage sherry butt, bottled at 35 years old at a natural strength of 49.6% abv and is available through all good whisky stockists with a RRP of £299.99. “It was quite an honour and privilege to be presented with bottle number # 2 from the release, it almost felt like a lifetime achievement award” said Routledge.

The team at Glenglassaugh are also busy renovating their new dedicated visitor centre which they are determined to open before the end of 2011 to coincide with the release of their very first single malt, distilled since the new owners took over in 2008 after a closed spell of 22 years. “Distillery tours at the moment are by appointment only so it will be great to have proper facilities in place for the many visitors who make a pilgrimage to Glenglassaugh and expand on what we are currently offering”, explains Stuart Nickerson, MD for Glenglassaugh distillery. “The Banffshire region as a whole will benefit from Glenglassaugh’s visitor centre and attract thousands of tourists into the area each year”.

Glenglassaugh has a range of whisky available from 26 years of age to a 45 year old and more information on these and how to purchase them as well as your very own 50 litre Octave cask can be found on the distillery web site www.glenglassaugh.com .

The company also has a range of Spirit Drinks and more information on these can be found on www.thespiritdrink.com .

Further Information

About Glenglassaugh

The Glenglassaugh Distillery is situated on the Banffshire coast in the North-East of Scotland, close to the small village of Portsoy. The distillery was built in 1875 by local businessmen to satisfy the growing global demand for Scotch Malt Whisky and the site was chosen due to its close proximity to a high quality water supply and easy access to the nearby barley fields. After a visit in the late 1880s, the highly-regarded Victorian commentator Alfred Barnard described Glenglassaugh as “too well known to need any praise.”

More recently, spirit from Glenglassaugh was used primarily in blends such as Cutty Sark and The Famous Grouse. In 1986 the then owners mothballed Glenglassaugh as part of wider cutbacks in production and the distillery has remained silent thereafter. In 2008 The Scaent Group of Amsterdam purchased the distillery and have invested more than £1m to recommence operations and to reintroduce to discerning customers the distinctive and high quality attributes of The Glenglassaugh Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

Redevelopment

The refurbishment and reopening of the Glenglassaugh Distillery have been managed by Stuart Nickerson, a renowned whisky expert, who was the sole consultant during the acquisition. Nickerson has worked in the Scotch Whisky industry since 1981 with a significant part of his career being with William Grants, where he was Distilleries Director. Previously, he managed Highland Park Distillery, Glenrothes and Glenfiddich Distilleries in succession. He was appointed the new Managing Director of the Glenglassaugh Distillery Company in February 2008.

Production at Glenglassaugh was restarted on 24th November 2008 by Rt. Hon Alex Salmond, Scotland’s First Minister and the distillery’s MP. Distilling was thus commenced under the guidance of Stuart Nickerson and Graham Eunson, the new management team, who have now released a number of innovative new products.

Labor Day Libation: Refreshing Cocktail to Toast the End of Summer

The last blast of summer is almost here so it’s time to plan one more final BBQ. You’ve got the hotdogs, burgers and potato salad. All that’s missing is a chilled cocktail that embodies the flavors of summer. The following recipe from Maker’s Mark is elegant yet easy for anyone to make and pair well with food from the grill. 

WHISKEY SMASH

Recipe by Dale DeGroff, Master Mixologist

Ingredients:

· 2 parts Maker’s Mark® Bourbon

· 4 mint leaves

· ¾ lemon

· 1 part simple syrup

· Lemon wheel, for garnish

· Sprig of mint, for garnish

Directions:

Muddle all ingredients except Maker’s Mark® Bourbon in a bar glass. Add the bourbon and shake with ice. Strain into an ice filled rocks glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a lemon wheel.

Maker’s Mark® is one of the finest Kentucky Bourbons with a soft, smooth flavor which stems from the use of red winter wheat in the mash bill instead of rye. In keeping with the founder’s dedication to heritage and handcraftsmanship, Maker’s Mark is aged to taste at its historic distillery in Loretto, KY. www.makersmark.com.

BENRIACH AND GLENDRONACH RELEASE NEW BATCHES OF SINGLE CASK BOTTLINGS

AS SUMMER slips away, the thought of long autumn and winter nights becomes slightly more bearable thanks to BenRiach and GlenDronach issuing new batches of limited release single cask bottlings.

As with previous batches, each vintage is hand-numbered and bottled at cask strength, at natural colour and non-chill-filtered.

The new BenRiach batch boasts twelve special bottlings ranging from 18 to 40 year-old – including a monster 1976 Classic Speyside at 57.8% proof which on the nose offers “a wave of stewed plums, damsons and sweet sultanas interwoven with fine leather and well-toasted oak”!

Meanwhile, over at GlenDronach, the six bottlings range from 17 to 40 year-old, and they include a superlative 1994 from an Oloroso Butt at 60.1% proof which on the palate gives “liquorice, aniseed and toasted hazelnuts developing around a foundation of chocolate orange sauce and rich old Oloroso sherry”.

Sales Director Alistair Walker said: “BenRiach’s uniqueness is found in the diversity of our whiskies. Our warehouses boast a stunning array of ages and styles, and when we select the casks to be bottled as single casks, not only are we looking for excellent quality but also to offer the consumers some variety. Batch 8 alone covers the Classic Speyside style, various finishes (including less traditional finishes such as Sauternes, Barolo and virgin American oak), and of course a couple of peated, smoky BenRiachs.”

The twelve BenRiach bottlings are:

1971, July 2011, 40YO, cask 1947, Hogshead, Classic Speyside
1972, July 2011, 39YO, cask 802, Hogshead, Classic Speyside
1976, July 2011, 34YO, cask 6942, Butt, Classic Speyside
1977, July 2011, 34YO, cask 1034, Pedro Ximinez Hogshead, PX Sherry Finish
1978, July 2011, 32YO, cask 4387, Virgin Oak Hogshead, Virgin American Oak Finish
1979, July 2011, 31YO, cask 11195, Bourbon Barrel, Peated
1980, July 2011, 31YO, cask 2531, Virgin Oak Barrel, Virgin American Oak Finish
1984, July 2011, 26YO, cask 7193, Virgin Oak Hogshead, Peated / Virgin American Oak Finish
1989, July 2011, 22YO, cask 4813, Sauternes Hogshead, Sauternes Finish
1989, July 2011, 22YO, cask 5620, Virgin Oak Hogshead, Virgin American Oak Finish
1992, July 2011, 19YO, cask 972, Tawny Port Hogshead, Tawny Port Finish
1993, July 2011, 18YO, cask 7415, Barolo Hogshead, Barolo Finish

The GlenDronach Distillery is famous for producing richly sherried single malts. The range of fruit flavours in this latest bottling is exceptional – from brambles and raspberries, citrus notes of mandarins and clementines to nuts, chocolate and dried Mediterranean fruits such as figs, dates and sweet raisins.

Alistair picked out the 1972 which exemplifies the classic GlenDronach taste.

“From an Oloroso butt, it’s a big and full-bodied 39YO. As you would expect from such a mature malt, it’s incredibly concentrated and packed with sweet, fruity flavours. Delicious, and the perfect antidote to cold winter nights.”

The six GlenDronach bottlings are:

1971, July 2011, 40YO, cask 1436, Pedro Ximinez Sherry Puncheon
1972, July 2011, 39YO, cask 712, Oloroso Sherry Butt
1989, July 2011, 21YO, cask 2917, Pedro Ximinez Sherry Puncheon
1990, July 2011, 20YO, cask 1032, Pedro Ximinez Sherry Puncheon
1992, July 2011, 19YO, cask 161, Oloroso Sherry Butt
1994, July 2011, 17YO, cask 97, Oloroso Sherry Butt

BenRiach, and more recently GlenDronach, have become known for their annual ‘batch release’ of single cask whiskies, and these bottlings have gathered quite a following around the world. Alistair commented:

“We have a cult following for our single casks, and these releases sell out very quickly. It’s an important part of what we do, and being a relatively small independent enables us to engage with these small production runs.”

The eighteen releases follow hard on the heels of the company’s success at last month’s IWSC awards. The BenRiach 12 year-old sherry-matured won the Single Malt Scotch whisky (15 years and under) Trophy, the Single Malt Scotch whisky (Special Edition) Trophy and the Gold Medal / Best in Class (category – Scotch whisky, Single Malt, Speyside, Cask Finish, 12 – 13YO)

In total, BenRiach collected an impressive nine IWSC awards this year.

EVAN WILLIAMS BOURBON LAUNCHES FALL “GRILL WITH THE GREATS SWEEPSTAKES” PROGRAM

America’s 2nd Largest Selling Bourbon Teams with Big Green Egg® and Chef Grady Spears for Major Retail Promotion

BARDSTOWN, KY – Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, the second largest selling Bourbon in the US and the world, announces a Fall promotion sure to fire up Bourbon fans and grilling aficionados—the Evan Williams and Big Green Egg “Grill With the Greats” Sweepstakes. Offering a grand prize of an all expenses paid trip to the Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center in Bardstown, Kentucky, a private dinner with celebrity chef Grady Spears and Heaven Hill Master Distillers Parker and Craig Beam, and a large Big Green Egg cooker, the “Grill With The Greats” promotion hits all the hot buttons for Bourbon consumers and retailers looking to create compelling merchandising displays.

Evan Williams, the fastest growing premium Bourbon in the country according to A.C. Neilsen, has created a fully integrated marketing program designed to draw in and motivate the Bourbon-buying demographic. Using large and impactful mass retail display point of sale, on-the bottle neckers, as well as print advertising in key national consumer magazines and web and social media, Evan Williams will motivate Bourbon drinkers to enter a Fall sweepstakes to win an ultimate “mancation” getaway—a trip for two to “The Bourbon Capital of the World®”, Bardstown, Kentucky, to visit the Heaven Hill Distilleries, producers of Evan Williams Bourbon. The lucky winner will enjoy a private dinner grilled by celebrity chef Grady Spears, known as “The Cowboy in the Kitchen”, along with the 6th and 7th generation Master Distillers at Heaven Hill Distilleries, Parker and Craig Beam. And the winner will also take home a large size Big Green Egg cooker, the ultra popular ceramic cooker that is a smoker, a grill and an oven all rolled into one.

For retailers, the “Grill With the Greats” promotion means that highly motivated Bourbon consumers will be drawn in by the football-themed floor displays or the on-the-bottle neck hangers (available on 750ml and 1.75l bottles, where legal), and will continue to make Evan Williams the hottest brand among top Bourbons. In addition, compelling print ads and sweepstakes information will appear in top national men’s publications like Maxim, Sports Illustrated and Rolling Stone, as well as on the Evan Williams website and Facebook page and the Big Green Egg website and Facebook page.

“We know that grilling, Bourbon and football are complementary Fall passions for a lot of our Evan Williams consumers, and competitive Bourbon consumers as well,” noted Susan Wahl, Evan Williams brand manager at Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. “The ‘Grill With the Greats’ promotion brings these together for our consumers, along with iconic brands and names such as Big Green Egg and chef Grady Spears, and presents a great merchandising opportunity for Evan Williams retailers.”

The “Grill With the Greats” promotion will be available nationally (where legal), and will run through mid October, when the drawing for the Grand Prize package will be held. Consumers can learn more through the Evan Williams website (www.evanwilliams.com), the Big Green Egg website (www.biggreenegg.com), bottle neckers on select 750ml and 1.75 liter size bottles, and Evan Williams print advertisements in select national consumer magazines.

Founded in 1934, Bardstown, KY-based Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. (www.heavenhill.com) is the nation’s largest independent, family-owned and operated spirits producer and marketer and the world’s second-largest holder of Kentucky Bourbon. Heaven Hill’s diversified portfolio of brands includes The Christian Brothers Brandies; Evan Williams and Elijah Craig Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskeys; Burnett’s Vodkas and Gin; Hpnotiq Liqueur; PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur; Lunazul and Two Fingers Tequilas, and Dubonnet Aperitif.

JOCK WISHART AND CREW MAKE HISTORY AS WORLD’S FIRST OARSMEN TO ROW TO MAGNETIC NORTH POLE*

British ‘Old Pulteney Row to the Pole’ expedition successfully navigates hazardous 450 mile Arctic route

British Arctic explorer and adventurer Jock Wishart today (26th August 2011) claimed a momentous world first as he and his six-man crew completed their ambitious ‘Old Pulteney Row to the Pole’, reaching the magnetic north pole (recognized and certified in 1996) at 12.30am GMT.

The momentous expedition, which is sponsored by Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky, set out from Resolute Bay on Friday 29th July to conquer some of the harshest conditions on earth. The voyage, which was four years in the planning, was rowing through waters which are only open water for a matter of just weeks each year due to the recent increase in seasonal ice melt in the Arctic.

The voyage has been the challenge of a lifetime for Jock and his crew of adventurous rowers, as they steered the small ‘Old Pulteney’ ice boat through ice-strewn seas. The open water is still frequently filled with ice bergs and floating ice. They have had several incidents of collisions and have had to wait and watch the weather and ice blocking their way as Arctic ice closed in, threatening to put the expedition in jeopardy.

Throughout the journey, the crew has worked with scientific research partners to deliver fresh environmental data into the impact of arctic deterioration on the polar landscape. They have also used the opportunity to study wildlife, having had close encounters with some of the Arctic’s most impressive species, including beluga whales, walrus and polar bears.

The intrepid team has lived for almost a month on the compact, specially designed ice-boat the ‘Old Pulteney’, sleeping in shifts between grueling rowing stints and surviving on 7000 calorie-per day dry rations. The detail and drama of their 4-week adventure has been captured by a BBC cameraman for a documentary on the expedition.

For most of the voyage the crew has rowed through open water, taking advantage of favourable weather to make good headway, however the real challenge lay in the second and most significant part of the expedition – rowing all the way across to Ellef Ringnes Island. In the last few weeks of summer this area was the last to melt and break up, so the crew was confronted with both solid and floating sea ice which they painstakingly picked their way through – with the last part of their journey being a race against time as the ice closed in.

Today a triumphant Jock Wishart commented: ‘The final leg of our journey started on Wednesday night when a possible route through the disintegrating ice began to open up. We’d been pinned down for days by ice and heavy winds. But the conditions suddenly changed and we were able to pick our way through. The last three miles proved to be the hardest of all when we had to take the boat out the water and then haul it over the ice.

We’re all absolutely exhausted, but elated. No one’s ever even tried to do this. In fact most people did think it was impossible. But we’ve done it!”

Said Old Pulteney Senior Brand Manager Margaret Mary Clarke: ‘Huge congratulations to Jock and his team from everyone here at Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky. We’ve tracked their progress with excitement and bated breath over the past month and we’re thrilled their efforts have been rewarded. Old Pulteney’s partnership with Jock and this expedition stems from the brand’s age old heritage of supporting maritime adventure, so it’s a proud day for us to be part of this momentous achievement’.

L-R David Mans, Billy Gammon, Mark Delstanche, Rod Sleep, Jock Wishart

Notes:

*The Magnetic North Pole’s certified position was established in 1996. The position is 78°35.7N 104°11.9W / 78.595°N 104.1983°W.

Since then, this 1996 certified position has become an established expedition objective for Arctic expeditions and adventures. The biennial Polar Race takes place between Resolute Bay in northern Canada and the 1996-certified location of the North Magnetic Pole.

Old Pulteney Row to the Pole

Jock Wishart
Jock is established as one of the UK’s leading adventurers and explorers, with a successful background in polar exploration, rowing and extreme navigational feats. He led the team which established fifteen new world speed records for powered circumnavigation and captained the team that broke the London to Paris rowing record in 1999. He has a lifetime interest in polar exploration and in 1992 journey he was part of the first team to walk unsupported to the Geomagnetic North Pole.

Old Pulteney
Old Pulteney Single Malt Whisky, is diligently crafted at Pulteney Distillery in Wick. It is the most northerly distillery on the UK Mainland and was founded in 1826 by James Henderson at the height of Wick’s herring boom. The distillery lies in the heart of ‘Pulteneytown’, which was created for all the fishermen at the time, and is embedded in the deep rooting history of this coastal town, which used to be one of the most important and biggest herring fishing ports in Europe.

Wick became known around the world for its precious barrels of silver and gold – silver being the herring and gold being the fine whisky – which left the port in vast numbers.

Old Pulteney Single Malt whisky has a long standing association with the sea and is also known as the ‘Genuine Maritime Malt’. Its carefully crafted taste carries the windswept and rugged character of the North, the salty and fresh air of the North Sea and the distillery’s rich maritime heritage runs through every drop of this fine malt.

As a strong supporter of Wick’s community, Old Pulteney is delighted to be continuously supporting the Wick RNLI Station, the Wick Pipe Band, Wick Football Club and Hockey Team and furthermore as the ‘Genuine Maritime Malt’, Old Pulteney is also involved with some of the most prestigious sailing events in the country including the Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta, the Round the Island Race at the Isle of Wight and the Old Pulteney IRC Scottish Championship.

www.rowtothepole.com

Jim Beam challenges travellers’ taste buds at Madrid airport

Maxxium Travel Retail, together with brand owner Beam Global Spirits & Wine, is embarking on marketing activations in all leading European airports, including a month-long initiative at Madrid-Barajas airport, to raise the profile of the world’s number one bourbon, Jim Beam and its portfolio of brands.

Throughout August a blind tasting experience targets consumers travelling through Terminal 4, to educate them on the exceptional quality of the brand and drive sales. The Jim Beam Taste Challenge stand has been designed to create maximum impact and capture the attention of travellers.

Consumers will be guided through a tasting of Jim Beam White, the flagship expression in the portfolio, and another leading American whisky brand, to communicate the brand’s superior attributes and raise awareness of its distinctive taste. They will be helped to identify taste sensations, asked their opinions and be inspired to take an active part in the tasting, promoting lively discussion. Participants will also receive small branded gifts and when trial turns to purchase, given two branded glasses with a 1L bottle of Jim Beam White.

Beam’s director for European travel retail, Middle East and Africa, Gareth Brown says: “As the number one bourbon in the world, we are looking to build upon the entire Jim Beam portfolio and recruit new drinkers from outside the US. We developed the Jim Beam Taste Challenge to interact with our target consumers, giving them a personal experience and educating them on taste and quality. We have reached a huge number of consumers already and despite creating such a bold challenge for the brand found it to be extremely effective in highlighting Jim Beam as the preferred bourbon.”

Maxxium Travel Retail managing director, Glen Williams says: “In Madrid, the aim is to drive trial and visibility at point of purchase and we are confident that the initiative will be effective in boosting sales. The activity is part of our strategy that will see extensive investment rolled out across key European markets such as Frankfurt, Munich and London, supporting the brand’s outstanding performance in travel retail.”

According to the latest IWSR results, the brand posted strong growth in Europe last year. Jim Beam White grew by 21% and Jim Beam Black by 28% year on year, significantly outperforming the total US whiskey category in travel retail, which was up by 14%.

Enjoy Responsibly

Maxxium Travel Retail

Maxxium Travel Retail is the joint venture between two of the most highly regarded names in the industry – Beam Global Spirits & Wine Inc and The Edrington Group. We manage premium brands from both companies’ portfolios, plus a number of third party brands in the majority of countries of Europe. Maxxium Travel Retail is responsible for marketing and distribution of the shareholders´ brands in most of European Travel retail. The Maxxium Travel Retail portfolio places us as one of the three leading spirits distributors in Duty Free and Travel Retail in Europe.

Beam Global Spirits & Wine Inc, the world´s fourth largest premium spirits company, has an exciting portfolio of top 100 brands that are renowned for their fine craftsmanship perfected over decades, and, in some cases, centuries. The portofolio includes leading international brands Jim Beam, Courvoisier, Laphroaig, Maker´s Mark and Canadian Club as well as regional brands such as Teacher´s, Harveys and Sourz.

Beam Unveils New Corporate Branding

Deerfield, Ill. – August, 2011 – Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. [Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE: FO)] has announced new corporate branding in anticipation of becoming an independent publicly traded spirits company, to be renamed Beam Inc., early in the fourth quarter.

The new logo features the single word “Beam” in the signature script of fourth-generation distiller James B. Beam, whose namesake Jim Beam® Bourbon is the company’s flagship spirits brand. The red script logo underscores the centuries of entrepreneurial spirit, quality and unique, family-driven heritage behind Beam’s portfolio of leading premium spirits throughout the world.

“Our new corporate identity is simple, authentic, memorable and is the perfect reflection of our commitment to the Beam family’s pioneering vision established more than 216 years ago,” said Matt Shattock, Beam president and CEO. “The Beam signature will now be on every aspect of our global business, serving as a powerful and enduring endorsement of our dedication to quality, innovation and authenticity as we enter an exciting new era of growth as a leading pure-play spirits company.”

When Jim Beam’s great-great-grandfather, Jacob Beam, put his first bourbon in the barrel in the wilds of Kentucky in 1795, he laid the foundation for the enduring seventh-generation family business. Today, Beam is the fourth-largest premium spirits company in the world, with 10 of the world’s top-100 premium spirits in its portfolio, including Jim Beam, the world’s No. 1 bourbon with sales of six million cases annually. Other top global premium spirits in Beam’s portfolio include Maker’s Mark® Bourbon, Teacher’s® Scotch Whiskey, Sauza® Tequila, Courvoisier® Cognac and Canadian Club® Whisky.

Beam will start using the new logo upon the separation of Fortune Brands’ businesses, which is on track for completion early in the fourth quarter. As a standalone spirits business, the company expects to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BEAM. The separation of Fortune Brands’ businesses remains subject to completion of detailed separation plans, customary regulatory approvals and final Board approval.

About Beam Global Spirits & Wine:

Inspiring conversations around the world, Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc., is building brands people want to talk about. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for our brands, including Jim Beam® Bourbon, Sauza® Tequila, Canadian Club® Whisky, Courvoisier® Cognac, Maker’s Mark® Bourbon, Laphroaig® Scotch Whisky, Skinnygirl cocktails, Cruzan® Rum, Larios® Gin, Whisky DYC®, Teacher’s® Scotch Whisky, DeKuyper® Cordials and Liqueurs and Knob Creek® Bourbon. Beam Global Spirits & Wine is part of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE:FO). For more information on Beam Global Spirits & Wine, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, visit www.beamglobal.com and www.drinksmart.com.

Beam Appoints Christopher Bauder Bourbon General Manager

Deerfield, Ill. – August, 2011 – Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. [Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE: FO)] today announced the appointment of Christopher G. Bauder as the Bourbon Category Business Team (CBT) General Manager. In this role, Bauder will lead Beam’s largest, top-performing spirits category and spearhead the continued growth of all bourbon brands in the U.S., including Jim Beam®, Maker’s Mark®, Knob Creek® and Basil Hayden’s®.

Beam is the world’s largest producer of bourbon—with the company’s flagship brand, Jim Beam, selling six-million cases each year, and Maker’s Mark selling more than one million cases annually. In the past two years, Beam has also innovated within the Bourbon category by introducing new products including Red Stag by Jim Beam®, Maker’s 46™, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve and, most recently, Jim Beam Devil’s Cut™.

“With his extensive global brand building and sales experience, Chris Bauder is positioned to take our Bourbon portfolio to the next level,” said Bill Newlands, Beam president, North America. “Bourbon is our number one, single largest category at Beam, and I’m confident that with Chris’ leadership we’ll continue to revolutionize within our portfolio and drive other industry trends.”

Before joining Beam, Bauder served as S.C. Johnson’s Vice President Marketing, International Markets. Prior to this role he also held several positions of increasing responsibility throughout his 17 years at S.C. Johnson, including Vice President Marketing, Developing Markets, where he led marketing, media and new product development efforts across Latin America, Africa, Asia, Russia and the Middle East.

Bauder earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and political science from Duke University and has a Master of Business Administration from Marquette University.

About Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc.:

Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. (“Beam Global”) is one of the world’s largest premium spirits companies, encompassing a portfolio of nearly 100 brands (including 10 of the world’s top-100 premium spirits brands), more than a dozen global operating and commercial facilities and 3,200 employees worldwide. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for our brands, including Jim Beam® Bourbon, Sauza® Tequila, Canadian Club® Whisky, Courvoisier® Cognac, Teacher’s® Scotch Whisky, Maker’s Mark® Bourbon, Laphroaig® Scotch Whisky, Cruzan® Rum, Hornitos ™ Tequila, EFFEN® Vodka, Larios® Gin, Whisky DYC®, DeKuyper® Cordials, Knob Creek® Bourbon and Skinnygirl® Cocktails. Growth through innovation is a key strategy at Beam Global, with Red Stag by Jim Beam® Bourbon, Cruzan® 9 Spiced Rum, Maker’s 46™ Bourbon and Courvoisier® 12 Cognac and Courvoisier® 21 Cognac all being launched as new products over the past two years. Beam Global is part of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE:FO), a leading consumer brands company. For more information on Beam Global, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, visit www.beamglobal.com and www.drinksmart.com.© 2011 Beam Inc., Deerfield, IL

SOUTH AFRICAN FRIENDS ‘TAKE HOME’ GLOBAL WHISKEY PRIZE

A Marketing Consultant and an Orthotist from South Africa won a global competition last night (17th August 2011) hosted by BUSHMILLS™ Irish Whiskey that will see the world-famous Old Bushmills Distillery ‘go on tour’ to a city in the Rainbow Nation.

Jonathan ‘Oros’ Oliff, 28, from Durban and Sean Tickner, 30, from Cape Town were together chosen as the winners of ‘Make it 2 Bushmills’, winning two weeks working at the world-famous Old Bushmills Distillery, where they will make their own unique blend of BUSHMILLS Irish Whiskey, live in luxury penthouse accommodation and get £5,000 spending money.

After their experience, Jonathan and Sean will ‘take home the distillery’, with the ultimate BUSHMILLS party that will be held in a South African city this year.

The pair, who are married to identical twin sisters, met while body boarding at North Beach in Durban fifteen years ago and have been friends ever since.

Jonathan said: “It’s amazing to be named the winners of Make it 2 Bushmills! We came to the global final here in Bushmills to do our country proud – we can’t wait to take the distillery home to South Africa.”

BUSHMILLS Irish Whiskey is hand-crafted in small batches for an exceptionally smooth taste at the Old Bushmills Distillery – Ireland’s oldest working distillery in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

The BUSHMILLS Master Distiller, Colum Egan launched Make it 2 Bushmills in March 2011 to offer two friends to share an experience of a lifetime at the distillery and then take it ‘on tour’.

Jonathan and Sean defeated thousands of others to be crowned winners by entering on the BUSHMILLS Facebook page and then campaigning for public votes to allow them to represent their country at the global final, Bushcamp, held in Bushmills village this week.

In the past few days, they have competed in a series of challenges including barrel-rolling, beach-golfing and whiskey-tasting to impress the panel of judges with their strong friendship, teamwork and creativity.

BUSHMILLS Master Distiller Colum Egan said: “Jonathan and Sean have shown throughout Make it 2 Bushmills that they are great friends, with a genuine love for life and a fantastic sense of humour.

We can’t wait to welcome them into the distillery family and then work to take the distillery ‘on tour’ to South Africa…it’s going to be some party.”

Bushcamp was judged by Colum and some famous fans of BUSHMILLS, including Kevin Baird of Two Door Cinema Club, Jonathan Galkin of DFA Records and Rob Allanson of Whisky Magazine.

Fans of BUSHMILLS can follow Jonathan and Sean’s experience as they Make it 2 Bushmills and ‘take home the distillery’ on the BUSHMILLS Facebook page, facebook.com/bushmills1608 or by following @BushmillsGlobal on Twitter.

Notes

Colum Egan Biography

Colum Egan is Master Distiller at the Old Bushmills Distillery in County Antrim, where BUSHMILLS Irish Whiskey is hand crafted in small batches for an exceptionally smooth taste.

Since 2002, Colum has been responsible for all the critical stages of whiskey production, all of them carried out at the distillery itself. That’s very handy when your job is to ensure that the production of the whiskies is done to perfection – as Colum likes it to be. Colum lives in the little coastal town of Ballycastle with his wife and two sons and says that he has found his dream job.

MI2B GLOBAL WINNERS:

BUSHMILLS™ Irish Whiskey Master Distiller Colum Egan is pictured with the winners of Make it 2 Bushmills, South Africans, Jonathan Oliff and Sean Tickner.

The pair won the opportunity to spend two weeks working at the world-famous Old Bushmills Distillery, where they will make their own unique blend of BUSHMILLS Irish Whiskey, live in luxury penthouse accommodation and get £5,000 spending money.

After their experience, Jonathan and Sean will ‘take home the distillery’, with the ultimate BUSHMILLS party that will be held in a South African city this year.

About BUSHMILLS

BUSHMILLS Irish Whiskey is hand crafted in small batches at Ireland’s oldest working distillery in Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland. The brand portfolio includes six exceptionally smooth and multi-award winning whiskeys: BUSHMILLS Original, BLACK BUSH, BUSHMILLS 10 Year Old Single Malt, BUSHMILLS 16 Year Old Single Malt and BUSHMILLS Malt 21 Year Old Single Malt and BUSHMILLS 1608. BUSHMILLS is the only distillery in Ireland to make triple-distilled Malt Whiskey