Beam Looks to the Future, Recognizes Achievements at National Sales Meeting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Paula Erickson

847-444-7590

BEAM LOOKS TO THE FUTURE, RECOGNIZES ACHIEVEMENTS AT NATIONAL SALES MEETING

Deerfield, Ill. – November 2, 2011 – Beam (NYSE: BEAM) recently held its National Sales Meeting in Las Vegas where the company geared up for 2012. The event brought together the Beam North America sales team and, for the first time, 300 of the company’s distributor partners.

The three-day event featured presentations on each of Beam’s key brands, including new product innovations, brand marketing and activation plans for 2012. It also provided a forum to recognize the accomplishments of the past year among both the sales team and distributor force.

“As we gear up for an exciting 2012 for Beam, we gathered our sales team and distributor partners to align priorities and get energized for even more success from our brands,” said Bill Newlands, President North America from Beam. “Our annual national sales meeting allowed us a great opportunity to say ‘thanks’ to our partners and colleagues, while recognizing top performers in the industry and at Beam.”

In addition to hosting the annual Champions’ Club gala that recognizes crowning achievement among Beam’s business partners, the company also honored employees who have achieved Gold or Silver Level status through the Spirits Education Accreditation Program support by Virtual Spirit™. Serving as further testament to the company’s industry-leading sales approach, the accreditation program engrains employees with comprehensive knowledge of Beam’s categories, brands, history and mixology through a combination of online course work, research, testing and in-person demonstrations.

The Spirits Education Accreditation, established in 2010, equips Beam’s sales force with the knowledge required to service retail and on-premise accounts. Today, the company is proud to announce that 100 percent of its salesforce has completed the program, and a total of 45 employees have achieved Gold Level Accreditation and 242 have achieved Silver Level. Customized Spirits Accreditation program is planned for roll out in 2012 for key retailer and distributor and broker partners in the United States.

About Beam:

As one of the world’s leading premium spirits companies, Beam is Crafting the Spirits that Stir the World. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company’s brands, including Jim Beam® Bourbon, Maker's Mark® Bourbon, Sauza® Tequila, Canadian Club® Whisky, Courvoisier® Cognac, Teacher's® Scotch Whisky, Laphroaig® Scotch Whisky, Cruzan® Rum, Hornitos ™ Tequila, Knob Creek® Bourbon, EFFEN® Vodka, Pucker™ Flavored Vodka, Larios® Gin, Whisky DYC®, DeKuyper® Cordials, and Skinnygirl® Cocktails. The Beam portfolio includes 10 of the world’s top 100 premium spirits brands and some of the industry’s fastest growing innovations. Beam is focused on delivering superior performance with its unique combination of scale with agility and a strategy of Creating Famous Brands, Building Winning Markets and Fueling Our Growth. Beam and its 3,200 passionate associates worldwide generated 2010 sales of $2.7 billion on volume of 33 million 9-liter cases.

Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, Beam is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BEAM and is included in the S&P 500 Index and the MSCI World Index. For more information on Beam, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamglobal.com and www.drinksmart.com.

# # #