The World's Best-Selling Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Laphroaig(R), Prepares to Welcome Royal Guests and Residents of Islay as Friends

Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. will host The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, known as The Duke of Rothesay and The Duchess of Rothesay, while travelling in Scotland – at its Laphroaig®, Islay, distillery on June 4th, 2008. Laphroaig Islay Single Malt Scotch whisky is the world’s number one selling Islay whisky. It is produced at the D. Johnston & Co. Ltd (Laphroaig) distillery which proudly holds the Royal Warrant as Distiller and Supplier of Single Malt Scotch Whisky to His Royal Highness The Duke of Rothesay. The Duke of Rothesay and The Duchess of Rothesay will tour the Laphroaig distillery with Royal Warrant Grantee, Tom Flocco, president and chief executive officer of Beam Global Spirits & Wine, and with Laphroaig Distillery Manager, John Campbell who is a native of Islay. During the tour, The Duke of Rothesay and The Duchess of Rothesay will meet distillery employees, learn about the process for making this unique whisky, and will be given an opportunity to nose the whisky at different ages. After the tour, the royal guests will move to the recently renovated visitor centre and Friends of Laphroaig lounge area to meet with spouses of employees and retired employees. An exterior viewing gallery will be cordoned off within the distillery grounds to enable the public to glimpse the royal couple as they arrive at the facility. "It is a privilege to hold The Royal Warrant as Distiller and Supplier of Single Malt Whisky to His Royal Highness The Duke of Rothesay,” said Tom Flocco, President and CEO of Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. "And it is an honour to host The Duke of Rothesay and The Duchess of Rothesay at our distillery. This is a proud moment for the Laphroaig and the Beam Global families.” "I believe that one of the highlights for our royal guests will be meeting the Laphroaig distillery employees,” said John Campbell, Laphroaig Distillery Manager. "Their pride and skills have helped to put Laphroaig on the map, earning us global recognition along with coveted titles such as "Distiller of the Year,” in recent times.” Loyal "Friends of Laphroaig” who follow news from the brand and from the distillery, will be able to view images of the visit on www.laphroaig.com. The owner of D. Johnston & Co. (Laphroaig) Ltd is U.S.-based Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc., a leading, global spirits firm. In addition to building brands that people want to talk about, Beam Global is proud of its record in corporate social responsibility. Editor’s Notes: Owned by Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc., Laphroaig is the world’s leading single malt Islay Scotch whisky. The last time Prince Charles visited Laphroaig was in 1994. Since that time, the distillery has changed hands and has received an injection of investments to upgrade its visitor centre experience and to expand its marketing reach. In 2008, Laphroaig will receive a record level of investment in advertising and promotion spend. Laphroaig sold 180,000 cases (of 9 litre or equivalent) in 2007. Laphroaig commands around a 44% share of all Islay malt whiskies by volume sold worldwide. Main markets: Laphroaig is distributed very widely throughout the world from Brazil to India, but the major markets are UK, US, Italy, Germany, Japan and Sweden. The biggest selling expression globally and in the UK is Laphroaig 10 year old, followed by Laphroaig Quarter Cask. Laphroaig Quarter Cask is our newest regular Laphroaig expression, launched in 2004. It now accounts for around 15% of total Laphroaig volume. The Quarter Cask recreates the ways in which Laphroaig was matured in the past in small barrels one-quarter the size of the biggest casks the industry uses (500 litre capacity). Laphroaig has a global Friends of Laphroaig scheme entitling members of the public who buy a bottle to a lifetime lease on one square foot of Islay next to the distillery (the Friends’ plots). This scheme has become very popular, now with over 300,000 members from Latin America to Australia and Scandinavia. Friends regularly visit the distillery to visit their plot, with the distillery receiving around 8,000 visitors annually – all Friends who visit can claim their ‘rent’ a dram of Laphroaig! Public tours of the distillery will resume for the first few people who sign-up, after the Duke and the Duchess have departed the facility. There will be no tours prior to the arrival of the royal couple. The regular Laphroaig distillery tour will be closed on June 4th but the distillery will re-open its doors to the public later in the afternoon, after the royal visit has concluded. About Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc: 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®, Sauza®, Canadian Club®, Courvoisier®, Maker’s Mark®, Laphroaig®, Larios®, Whisky DYC®, Teacher’s®, DeKuyper®, Knob Creek®, and Starbucks Liqueurs™. Beam Global Spirits & Wine is part of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE:FO), a leading consumer brands company with annual sales exceeding USD 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. Laphroaig® is a registered trademark of Beam Global UK Limited. All rights reserved worldwide.