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CHICAGO (March 13, 2018) – Beam Suntory, the world’s third largest premium spirits company, has partnered with On the Rocks, a premium, ready-to-serve cocktail business. As part of the deal, Beam Suntory will become On the Rocks’ exclusive partner for co-branded beverages, including an Old Fashioned with Knob Creek® Bourbon, a Margarita with Hornitos® tequila, and a Cosmopolitan with EFFEN® vodka. On the Rocks will also leverage Beam Suntory’s considerable expertise in product development, commercialization, distribution, manufacturing, and packaging as it continues to grow.
“As the cocktail culture continues to thrive, we know consumers are looking for quality, hand-crafted cocktails in places where they haven’t been available before,” said Greg Hughes, General Manager, North America at Beam Suntory. “Our partnership with On the Rocks will help them capture more of these occasions, such as air travel, hotel room service, and major sporting events.”
On the Rocks was co-founded in 2015 by Patrick Halbert, an entrepreneur and restauranteur. Halbert and bartender Rocco Milano had created a cocktail program at the Dallas restaurant Private Social that was recognized as one of the city’s best by 2013. Friends in the airline industry asked Milano to try bottling his signature cocktails for in-flight service.
“This created a new challenge: how do you make natural cocktails that can keep,” said Milano, now Co-Founder/Corporate Mixologist at On the Rocks. “We said, let’s make bartender cocktails that elevate ready-to-serve into a culinary experience in a glass.”
The team developed branding, packaging, a method for preserving cocktails made with natural ingredients in a bottle without separating or spoiling, and assembled a portfolio of esteemed clients. On the Rocks filled its first order in 2016, for Hawaiian Airlines, and has since added Hilton Hotels, Four Seasons Hotels, Pebble Beach Golf Club, and the Beverly Hills Hotel to its client roster.
“We couldn’t be happier to have gained a partner like Beam Suntory,” Halbert said. “Their partnership will help us grow our business much faster, and our collaboration will mean that our hand-crafted, quality cocktails will also include some of the world’s finest premium spirits.”
In addition to the Old Fashioned, Cosmopolitan and Margarita, Rocco has also created a Jalapeno Pineapple Margarita with Tres Generaciones® tequila, an Aviation using Larios® gin, and a Mai Tai with Cruzan® rum.
Chicago − December 22, 2016 – Beam Suntory, the world’s third-largest premium spirits company, has donated $100,000 to Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit that provides emergency financial and other assistance to military families and wounded warriors. The donation will support the Holiday Meals for Military program, which will provide 12,000 family meals this holiday season. Beam Suntory’s donation alone funded 8,500 meals, being distributed on 28 U.S. military bases this month.
The Chicago-based spirits company has donated more than $2.5 million to Operation Homefront since 2006 as part of its commitment to supporting the communities where its employees live and work, a pillar of its Growing for Good social responsibility platform. The Holiday Meals for Military program began Thanksgiving 2009 as the result of a chance encounter in a supermarket in Utica, N.Y., near Fort Drum. A soldier, his wife and infant had a handful of grocery items they could not afford, so a Jim Beam employee picked up the $12 cost for the groceries. Since that time, the program has grown from initially providing 500 meal kits to military families in 2009 to this season’s 12,000 meals.
“Big things start with small steps,” says Ken Ruff, vice president, national accounts, Beam Suntory. “When I helped start the program, it was to support one family that I knew was in need. Back then I never would have imagined it would spur a national program with so many great partners helping so many families, year after year. It’s inspiring to see what we’ve been able to do together – and what we can still do.”
“As former military, this organization, and this program is very close to my heart,” Beam Suntory Chairman and CEO Matt Shattock said. “I am humbled by the sacrifices military families make, and we are honored to support to support this important cause.”
In addition to the donation, Beam employees will be volunteering to help pack meals in Illinois and Tennessee. Since 2008, Beam Suntory employees have provided thousands of volunteer hours.
“The holiday season can be an expensive time of the year, particularly for military families who live on a stretched family budget,” said John I. Pray, Jr., president and CEO, Operation Homefront. “Beam Suntory’s continued support helps Operation Homefront provide military families with grocery items necessary for a full holiday meal. It’s just one of the many ways we show our collective gratitude for their service and help them thrive in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.”
DEERFIELD, IL (February 29, 2016) - Beam Suntory, the world’s third largest premium spirits company, plans to move its global headquarters from suburban Deerfield to The Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago by the end of 2017.
The world leader in Bourbon and Japanese whisky has signed a non-binding Letter of Intent to lease 110,000 square feet in the historic building, an architectural landmark, elegantly situated on the Chicago River in the dynamic River North neighborhood.
Beam Suntory’s performance objective is to be the world’s fastest-growing premium spirits company. As cities will be a major source of future industry growth, Beam Suntory is strategically focusing resources in key cities around the world, including Chicago.
“Cities are increasingly where our target consumers live and work, including the key millennial demographic, and getting closer to our consumers is a strategic priority,” Beam Suntory Chairman & CEO Matt Shattock said.
Locating our people amidst the energy of a city like Chicago will be invigorating and make us an even better business as we pursue our ambitious long-term growth objectives. Our people will benefit from Chicago’s excellent transportation options, and we’ll be closer to a diverse pool of talent that we’ll tap into as we grow in the future.
“Beam Suntory is now the latest in a growing list of companies who recognize that having their global headquarters right here in the city of Chicago gives them even greater potential for future success, and I am proud to welcome them to their new home,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “Whether it's the talent of our workforce, the strength of our transportation systems or the quality of life in our neighborhoods, the city of Chicago offers growing companies like Beam Suntory many strategic advantages. I want to thank them for having confidence in Chicago’s future and I look forward to watching them grow here for years to come.”
Beam Suntory will relocate its headquarters in phases starting later this year. Approximately 450 employees spanning functions such as marketing, sales, finance, legal, human resources, IT, supply chain and communications are based at the company’s current headquarters in Deerfield.
This agreement links two Chicago-area icons. With history that dates back to 1795, Beam Suntory boasts an enviable portfolio led by its flagship brands Jim Beam and Yamazaki, as well as world-renown premium brands including Maker’s Mark, Knob Creek, Hakushu, Hibiki, Laphroaig, Bowmore, Courvoisier, Sauza, and EFFEN.
The Merchandise Mart is the world’s largest wholesale design center and one of Chicago’s premier international business locations for internet, advertising, technology, healthcare and media companies. The Merchandise Mart became the world's largest LEED®-EB certified building in November 2007.
“Beam Suntory’s roots go back more than 220 years, but we have the soul of a startup,” Shattock said. “I know we’re going to feel right at home in this vibrant downtown location.”
Deerfield, IL, March 29, 2016 – Beam Suntory today announced that Rebecca Messina will join the company as Senior Vice President & Global Chief Marketing Officer effective April 25th. Messina comes to Beam Suntory from The Coca-Cola Company, where she currently serves as Senior Vice President, Marketing & Innovation, Venturing & Emerging Brands. She will serve on Beam Suntory’s executive leadership team and report to chairman & CEO Matt Shattock.
In her current role, Messina leads brand strategy and growth for The Coca-Cola Company’s portfolio of high-growth, emerging brand companies. Over the course of her 22 years at Coca-Cola, Messina has held marketing leadership roles of increasing responsibility in geographies as diverse as the United States, Europe, Oceania and South America. Prior to assuming her current role in 2014, Messina served for five years as Vice President, Global Marketing Capability & Integration, where she led the strategic development of the global marketing agenda including the company’s methods, practices and capabilities necessary for the pursuit of growth in today’s market conditions.
“Rebecca is a dynamic, growth-oriented leader,” said Matt Shattock, chairman & CEO of Beam Suntory. “We’re delighted that she will join Beam Suntory to lead our global marketing and strengthen the function to deliver industry-leading, market-beating growth. With experience as a global brand marketer, leader of fast-growing entrepreneurial premium brands and a leading developer of marketing capability, Rebecca will be a perfect fit for us as we pursue our ambitious growth objectives.”
Messina is a graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and serves on the Advisory Board for the university’s College of Arts & Science. She also served on the National Board of the American Marketing Association.
While Courvoisier name is synonymous with our legendary Cognac, Beam Suntory employees in France are putting the name on bee hives as well.
Through a partnership with "Un Toit for les Abeilles," or "A Roof for the Bees," Courvoisier is sponsoring two fields of wildflowers and four bee hives with corporate and employee donations. The total program protects more than 85 million bees in France and Belgium, with nearly 1,400 hives. Courvoisier is one of 462 companies participating in the program, along with nearly 10,000 individuals.
Honey bee populations have long been on the decline in the U.S., in Europe, and around the world for a variety of reasons, including climate change, pesticide use, and invasive species. As pollinators, bees play a critical role to the global food supply chain, and threats to their survival have implications on a variety of food sources, from guacamole to buckwheat pancakes.
Four years ago, Courvoisier General Manager Patrice Pinet was contacted about sponsoring two bee hives and two nearby fields of flowers, so as to protect a nearby food source from pesticide use.
"This was a program that made perfect sense for Courvoisier, and we're so happy to be involved," Patrice said. "It's so fitting for Courvoisier, as the cognac of Napoleon, to help save the bees."
Bees were one of Napoleon's emblem, often wearing them on his clothing, as a symbol of hard work and perfect organization.
After two successful years of sponsorship, the program was expended to employees to make pre-tax donations. Courvoisier doubled the number of hives protected to four, thanks to 20 employees who each contribute monthly. In addition to protecting the local bee population, they’re also getting back jars of “Courvoisier Honey.”
"It's been a fulfilling program for us," said Patrice. "I hope we will develop this engagement in the future in Courvoisier and may be in other facilities around the world if such a potential partnership exists as 'Un Toit Pour les Abeilles' does in France."
Deerfield, IL – Beam Suntory has been awarded multiple medals at the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC), one of the most respected and influential spirits competitions in the world. Across its brand portfolio, Beam Suntory took home nearly 40 medals, including eight Double Gold, 10 Gold, 15 Silver and “Best Anejo” Tequila, reinforcing its passion for quality and position as an industry leader across multiple spirits categories.
“We are proud our brands earned such a strong range of impressive accolades at this year’s competition, which is a true testament to the craftsmanship of our distillers and blenders and the quality of the liquids they produce,” said Matt Shattock, Chairman and CEO of Beam Suntory.
More than 1,800 spirits were judged as part of the 2016 SFWSC, which is considered one of the world’s most prestigious tasting competitions.
Beam Suntory’s Double Gold wins at the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition include: Hibiki® Japanese Harmony™ Whisky; Hakushu® 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky; Hakushu® 18 Year Old Single Malt Whisky; Knob Creek® Bourbon; Laphroaig® 10 Year Old Scotch Whisky; Auchentoshan® Three Wood® Whisky; El Tesoro® Anejo Tequila; and Alberta® Pure Vodka. Top Gold medal recipients include: Yamazaki® Sherry Cask 2016 Whisky; Knob Creek® Rye Whiskey; Courvoisier® Cognac VSOP; Auchentoshan® 12 Year Old Scotch Whisky; Bowmore® 15 Year Old Whisky; Canadian Club® Chairman's Select™ 100% Rye Whisky; and Cruzan® Estate Diamond® Dark Rum.
Beam Suntory’s impressive honors at the 2016 SFWSC add to key wins at several additional competitions. These recent accolades include:
Clermont, Kentucky – March 22, 2018 – Two Kentucky icons are embarking on an alliance to preserve and protect the pristine limestone water in the Clermont area.
Jim Beam, the world’s No. 1 selling bourbon whiskey, and Bernheim Arboretum & Research Forest, a 15,625 acre privately held forest just south of Louisville, have joined forces to develop a natural water sanctuary on Bernheim grounds immediately adjacent to the Jim Beam distillery.
Beginning as a one-year agreement, the Natural Water Sanctuary Alliance will protect water quality, restore wildlife habitats, and reintroduce native plants and trees. This group is also working toward a long-term agreement to enhance environmental education, improve watershed protection planning, and secure quality water.
“Great bourbon starts with great water,” said Freddie Noe, eighth generation Beam Distiller. “In fact, the water in Clermont is one of the main reasons my family chose to settle here back in 1795. Jim Beam bourbon gets its distinct and wonderful taste, in part, from the local water, which is filtered naturally through limestone. We’re proud to team up with our neighbors at Bernheim to preserve this vital natural resource.”
The Jim Beam Natural Water Sanctuary Alliance at Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest will concentrate on conservation activities across Bernheim, particularly within the Long-Lick and Wilson Creek watersheds. These areas feature large forest expanses, wetlands and the head waters of three creeks and several small lakes that support wildlife, the surrounding communities, and the production of Jim Beam Bourbon.
Through this alliance, Jim Beam will also support Bernheim’s work to protect the federally endangered Indiana Bat, and co-host an annual landowners’ workshop to educate the community and promote best practices in water conservation and forest stewardship.
“The importance of clean water cannot be overstated. It’s essential for wildlife. It’s essential for human life and it’s essential to our economy,” said Mark Wourms, Bernheim’s Executive Director. “We are grateful to have a corporate partner like Jim Beam that values protecting this vital natural resource.”
The Natural Water Sanctuary Alliance is the latest example of Beam Suntory’s dedication to protecting water and the environment, inspired by corporate parent Suntory Holdings, which has established 20 Natural Water Sanctuaries throughout Japan. These more than 20,000 acres of forest protect quality water to supply its facilities, and nurture surrounding communities for many years to come.
“Both the Beam and Bernheim families have deep Kentucky roots and centuries of heritage in the Clermont area,” added Noe. “We have long shared a common respect and love for the land here and we understand the critical role protecting our environment, especially our natural water, plays in our future – not only the future of our business but the future health and well-being of our families, friends and colleagues who call this area home. We feel privileged to be able to give back to the community that has given us so much.”
Deerfield, Illinois, May 24 – Beam Suntory today announced several management changes as well as an evolution of its regional structure that will take effect on July 1.
John Owen, who most recently served as Beam Suntory’s SVP, Chief Supply Chain Officer, has been named SVP, Chief Financial Officer. Owen joined Beam Suntory in 2013 and enhanced the efficiency and effectiveness of the company’s global supply chain and helped manage the operations integration following the acquisition of Beam by Suntory. Prior to joining Beam Suntory, Owen spent 30 years at Avon Products, during which he built an impressive track record of commercial, finance and supply chain leadership, including serving as CFO of North America and President of EMEA.
“John is a uniquely talented enterprise-wide leader who elevated our global supply chain function, and I’m delighted that we will continue to benefit from his strong leadership, gravitas, people development skill and business expertise,” said Matt Shattock, chairman & CEO of Beam Suntory.
Expansion of International Region & Management Changes in Asia
The company also announced that it will move from a three-region operating structure to a two-region model. As a result, the company will combine its Asia and Japan markets and integrate them into its International Region. The result will be a simpler structure with two balanced regions of similar size and scale – Americas and International.
“This new alignment means we’ll have two dynamic, powerhouse regions with similar economic scale,” Shattock said. “Americas is anchored in the U.S., the world’s most profitable market, where we hold the number two market position, and also includes exciting emerging market opportunities throughout Latin America. International will drive growth in mature markets like Japan and developed Europe, while seizing emerging market opportunities across Asia and Eastern Europe.” The regions are led by Americas president Tim Hassett and International president Albert Baladi.
Concurrent with this move, Windy Koizumi, currently president of Beam Suntory Japan, will be promoted to the newly created position of President, Asia. In this role, to be based in Singapore, Koizumi will have responsibility for Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea and Southeast Asia. He will report to Albert Baladi and remain a member of the Beam Suntory executive leadership team.
“Emerging markets in Asia are one of our most promising long-term growth opportunities, and this alignment will enable greater sharing of best practices from Japan across Asian markets,” Shattock said. “Given the magnitude of the future opportunity in Asia, we are determined to act now to seize the opportunity.”
Succeeding Koizumi as SVP Managing Director of Beam Suntory Japan will be Sho Senba. Senba is a 31-year veteran of Suntory who has held several key leadership roles in the spirits, beer and wine businesses. He currently serves as COO, Group Strategy Planning of Suntory Holdings and Chairman of Suntory China Holdings.
April 3, 2018 – New York, NY – Today, Budweiser and Jim Beam® bourbon toast to the future as they join their 365 collective years of stateside distilling and brewing history to kick off a new friendship and marketing collaboration. The all-American pair will introduce a new taste of history to beer and bourbon fans alike through a cross-merchandising program starting in the spring and a new collaborative brew launching in the fall.
Starting this month, the two brands will begin appearing together at bars and retail venues across the country, just in time for baseball season. Inspired by the “beer and a bourbon shot” occasion, the new on-premise cross-merchandising program will feature Budweiser and Jim Beam bourbon together for the perfect pairing.
Following, in September, Budweiser’s brewmasters and Jim Beam’s seventh generation Master Distiller Fred Noe will celebrate the upcoming 85th anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition with the unveiling of a new limited-edition collaborative brew – Budweiser Reserve Copper Lager. The Copper Lager is brewed with two-row barley and aged on Jim Beam bourbon barrel staves to create a toasted oak aroma and deliciously nutty taste with caramel rye and vanilla notes.
“We are very excited about this partnership not only because both brands share common history but also an obsession for quality and a decade’s long connection to America,” said Ricardo Marques, Vice President of marketing for Budweiser. “This is a truly unique partnership and innovation that will surely drive excitement with our drinkers.”
“This partnership feels especially natural given our brands’ common values and the pivotal roles they’ve both played in American history,” said Rob Mason, Vice President of marketing for Jim Beam. “Our family distillers have produced ‘America’s Native Spirit’ since 1795, using traditions and techniques passed down through the generations. This is another exciting milestone in Jim Beam’s history.”
The World’s most valuable beer brand and the World’s No. 1 bourbon brand share impressive histories of persevering through the Prohibition era while they were not able to produce their signature products. For Jim Beam, it was their fourth generation distiller – James B. Beam – who rebuilt his family’s distillery in a mere 120 days to produce what is today the world’s best-selling bourbon. Similarly, Budweiser kept its doors open through Prohibition by creating other non-alcoholic packaged goods as they waited to bring beer back to America. Budweiser’s Reserve Copper Lager aged on Jim Beam bourbon barrel staves celebrates this important moment for these brands and all Americans.
The partnership between Budweiser and Jim Beam promises to deliver unique product innovations, integrated marketing efforts and a unique way to delight both beer and bourbon fans. The two brands will lean on their incredible American heritage to deliver a modern drinking experience this year and beyond.
Cape Town, South Africa, 23rd April 2018 - Beam Suntory, the world’s third largest premium spirits company, is pleased to announce that it has acquired the remaining 50% shareholding of its South African distributor, ABV Brands, from the company founders, Ross Calow, Daniel Hawkins and Igor Boyadjian. This follows Beam Suntory’s acquisition of a 50% stake in ABV Brands in 2015. The acquisition was completed on 18th April and is effective immediately.
As a result of this acquisition, Beam Suntory assumes full ownership of its route-to-market in South Africa, and the existing ABV Brands team will be integrated into Beam Suntory. Mark Pockele, formerly Beam Suntory’s Commercial Director for MEA, will assume the role of MD following the departure of ABV Brands’ co-founder and current MD, Ross Calow. Dan Hawkins will remain as ABV Brands’ Commercial Director along with the existing management team. There are currently no planned changes to ABV Brands’ portfolio of products.
ABV Brands was founded in 2010 and has been Beam Suntory’s distribution partner in South Africa from the beginning. Since becoming a Beam Suntory joint venture in 2015, ABV Brands has grown the Beam Suntory portfolio by more than 50%, driven largely by Courvoisier Cognac, which has seen triple-digit growth and is now the #2 Cognac brand in South Africa, as well as Jim Beam Bourbon, which has outperformed the whisky category in South Africa with consistent double-digit growth.
Yuri Grebenkin, Beam Suntory’s MD for Alliance & Emerging Markets, commented: “Throughout our eight-year partnership, ABV Brands has demonstrated that it has the market knowledge, the commercial drive, and the passion for our brands to deliver consistent, aggressive growth in South Africa. South Africa is a high-potential emerging market for Beam Suntory, and brands like Jim Beam and Courvoisier are already establishing category-leading positions. We are delighted to welcome the ABV Brands team to Beam Suntory, and we are looking forward to building on their already impressive achievements as one team.
“I’d like to offer our sincere thanks to Ross and Dan for their partnership throughout the years. They built an outstanding business and we are delighted that Dan will continue to drive our commercial strategy in South Africa.”
Dan Hawkins, ABV Brands Commercial Director, added, “ABV Brands is extremely proud of the leadership position we have built in this dynamic market over the past eight years, and we are thrilled to be taking this next step with Beam Suntory and its world-class portfolio of premium brands. We are confident that combining our local expertise with Beam Suntory’s global scale and capabilities will be a winning combination, empowering us to take the business to the next level in South Africa.”
FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT:
Nell Murphy
International Communications Director, Beam Suntory
nell.murphy@beamsuntory.com
+44 (0) 7471148209
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