Courvoisier® L'edition Imperiale Competes for Fragrance of the Year

Business Wire,  May 7, 2008  

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Courvoisier[R] Cognac-Inspired Fragrance among the Top Five Finalists in the Running for Fragrance of the Year in the 2008 FiFi[R] Awards

DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. [Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE:FO)], a global leader in premium spirits, and its Courvoisier[R] Cognac brand are pleased to announce the top five finish of Courvoisier[R] L'edition Imperiale in this year's FiFi[R] Awards for Fragrance of the Year in the Men's Nouveau Niche Category. Inspired by centuries-old tradition and award winning excellence, Courvoisier[R] L'edition Imperiale crosses categories delivering the unique and flawless synergy of Master Blender and Master Perfumer. Packaged with the fashion and wealth of the Imperial Court of Napoleon in mind and part of the Courvoisier line of luxury, Courvoisier[R] L'edition Imperiale is competing with a "who's who" in the fragrance and fashion world for the top spot. The Fragrance of the Year award will be announced on May 20, 2008.

The collection was developed by Kraft International Marketing, Inc., a licensing, distribution and marketing firm with twenty years experience and proven success in upscale fragrances. "Courvoisier[R] L'edition Imperiale has had an incredible year," stated Paul Baron, vice president of marketing for Kraft International. "Inside 12 months the brand achieved global rankings in the Top Ten throughout our 25 markets, and now we are honored to be recognized by our colleagues in the industry." The eau de parfum offering, which became available worldwide at high-end retail locations in the spring of 2007, will soon be seeing further assortment and distribution expansion.

"We are incredibly proud of the success Courvoisier[R] L'edition Imperiale has had in its first year," stated Nick Garland, global vice president of marketing for Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. "Courvoisier cognac has competed successfully in tasting competitions around the world for many years and taken top honors. We're excited to see that the fragrance, inspired by our internationally renowned cognac, is also being recognized globally."

The FiFi Awards are given out by The Fragrance Foundation, a non-profit, educational organization whose mission is to enhance the image of the Fragrance Industry to the public and expand the appreciation and use of fragrance in all its forms across all distribution channels globally. The top five in the Fragrance of the Year categories are honored with the miniature crystal FiFi Award at the FiFi Finalists Breakfast and placed on the second ballot. Consumers can cast their vote for the winning fragrances at www.fragrance.org/ballots/login.php.

Courvoisier[R] L'edition Imperiale eau de parfum retails for more than $100 USD per 75ml bottle and can be found at Bergdorf Goodman, Harrods, Peter Jones, Harvey Nichols - UAE and other high-end retail locations throughout 25 markets worldwide.

About Courvoisier[R]

Courvoisier[R] is one of the four leading cognac houses in the world and continues to excel in the spirits category with its renowned blends including VS, VSOP, Exclusif, Napoleon, X.O., Initial Extra, Millennium and Courvoisier Succession J.S. L'Esprit de Courvoisier is the world's most-exclusive cognac, containing a masterful blend of vintages, including some dating back to the nineteenth century -- the same used to apply to the court of Napoleon and Edward VII. Courvoisier reminds consumers to drink smart[R]. For more information about Courvoisier cognac and corporate responsibility visit www.couvoisier.com and www.drinksmart.com.

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[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 and www.drinksmart.com.

About Kraft International Marketing

Kraft International Marketing is a long established privately-held US Corporation, involved in the worldwide marketing, logistics and distribution of prestige brand-name fragrances since 1983. In recent years, Kraft has expanded it's knowledge base and skill set by creating an in-house licensing and brand development staff dedicated to the creation of luxury beauty products. Kraft, determined in providing maximum customer satisfaction, has consolidated its role as master distributor to focus wholly on in-house brands via licensed partnerships. Through its experience, Kraft has maintained an extensive network of contacts and customer relations whom service key local and duty free channels in over 60 markets worldwide. Having played a key role in the International & Duty Free launches of brands such as Liz Claiborne[R], Gianni Versace[R] and Calvin Klein[R], as well as, the US Launches of brands such as Oilily[R], Diesel[R] & Romeo Gigli[R] -Kraft International is positioned to not only know the needs of these markets, but has the expertise and know-how to meet the changing demands of each market. Fluent in eight languages, member to all key global beauty conferences and a long standing track record in the industry, Kraft is set to leverage its command of global beauty distribution towards its wholly owned and growing, premium brand portfolio.