Beam Global Spirits & Wine Canada Joins Spirits Canada, Association of Canadian Distillers

Business Wire, April 1, 2008

Canadian Club[R] Owner Committed to Premiumization and Growth of Canada's Spirits Industry

DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc., owner of Canadian Club[R] Canadian whisky and a unit of Fortune Brands (NYSE:FO), is joining Spirits Canada, formerly known as the Association of Canadian Distillers, to reinforce its commitment to the growth of the Canadian distilled spirits industry.

Made up of Canada's leading distillers, Spirits Canada is the national trade association of Canadian manufacturers and marketers of distilled spirits, including Canadian whisky.

Spirits Canada's mission is to protect and advance the interests of its members, and to promote and protect, both nationally and internationally, the well-being and vitality of the distilling industry in Canada. The association collaborates with key stakeholders in the beverage alcohol industry to develop policies and practices that will lead to mutual benefit to governments, manufacturers and consumers of spirits products.

Philip Mills, Managing Director Europe & Canada, Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. will serve on the Spirits Canada Board. "As the owner of one of Canada's leading whiskies, Beam Global is investing behind the growth of the distilled spirits industry in Canada. Our membership to Spirits Canada enhances that investment. We are committed to playing a leadership role in elevating the distilled spirits category in this important market for Canadian Club and our other brands, including Sauza[R] tequila, Jim Beam[R] bourbon, Maker's Mark[R] bourbon, Courvoisier[R] cognac and Alberta Pure[R] vodka," said Mills.

Jan Field, Regional Director, Canada, Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. reiterated the importance of collaborating as an industry: "I look forward to continuing to work with the Canadian Liquor Control Boards and other industry stakeholders to generate mutually beneficial opportunities," he said. "With an estimated economic impact of more than two billion dollars in Canada, the industry provides significant opportunities to benefit both the public and private sectors through economic growth. Spirits Canada is ideally positioned to help maximize those opportunities, which is good for the government, good for the industry and ultimately - good for Canadian distilled spirits consumers."

"We are pleased to welcome Beam Global, a leading industry player, to our organization," said Spirits Canada president, Jan Westcott. "The Canadian Club brand and its Walkerville, Ontario-based Canadian Club Heritage Center are remarkable Canadian assets that play an important role in contributing to the success of the industry in Canada. We look forward to the company's participation as together we explore ways to further strengthen the long-term prospects of the Canadian spirits sector."

In addition, Spirits Canada represents the industry from a social responsibility perspective. "Beam Global is committed to high standards of corporate social responsibility through our commitment to the environment and responsible marketing and advertising practices," said Philip Mills. "We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Spirits Canada in an effort to continue to elevate the importance of social responsibility in Canada."

Beam Global is committed to promoting responsibility through its proprietary Drink Smart[R] platform designed to promote responsible consumption. Drink Smart[R] embodies the following principles:

* If you're under the legal purchase age, don't drink.

* If you're of legal purchase age and choose to drink, do so in moderation.

* Never drive when over the legal limit.

* If you can't drink responsibly, don't drink at all.

Beam Global Spirits & Wine adheres to its proprietary Marketing Code of Practice to ensure its commitment to responsible marketing is consistent around the world.

About Beam Global:

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[R] Bourbon, Sauza[R] Tequila, Canadian Club[R] Whisky, Courvoisier[R] Cognac, Maker's Mark[R] Bourbon, Laphroaig[R] Scotch Whisky, Larios[R] Gin, Whisky DYC[R], Teacher's[R] Scotch Whisky, DeKuyper[R] Cordials and Liqueurs, Knob Creek[R] Bourbon and Starbucks[TM] Liqueurs. Beam Global Spirits & Wine is part of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE:FO), a leading consumer brands company with annual sales exceeding $8 billion. For more information on Beam Global Spirits & Wine, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamglobal.com.

About Spirits Canada:

Spirits Canada is the leading voice for the Distilled Spirits Industry across Canada and includes as its members Alberta Distillers Limited, Bacardi Canada Inc., Beam Global Canada, Canadian Mist Distillers Limited, Corby Distilleries Limited, Diageo Canada Inc., Hiram Walker & Sons Limited, Peter Mielzynski Agencies Limited, Schenely Distilleries Inc., and The Black Velvet Distilling Co., Lt. Spirits Canada represents approximately 75% of all spirits production in Canada .