Little Things Mean a Lot

[cowdery]

When last summer it became apparent that Jim Beam was making a play to buy Maker's Mark, my first question was how would this affect Knob Creek (a Beam product). How do you differentiate those two brands in your portfolio? Common sense told me that Beam wasn't planning to buy Maker's just to strangle it and make life easier for Knob. They saw it as a horse they could ride.

We don't know the full answer yet, but here is a telling clue. Fortune Brands, Jim Beam's parent, sends out press releases all the time for all manner of reasons. Like all corporate press releases, theirs always end with a piece of corporate boilerplate succinctly describing the company.

As boilerplate, it is always the same, but changes occur from time to time when there are significant changes in corporate alignment or priorities. Several years ago, Knob Creek bourbon was added to the short list of Jim Beam Brands Co. (JBBC) products, the only American whiskey on the list besides Jim Beam itself.

On September 30, 2005, in a release announcing regulatory approval of the Maker's acquisition, that section of the release read like this: "Jim Beam Brands Worldwide, Inc. is the company's spirits and wine business. Major spirits and wine brands include Jim Beam and Knob Creek bourbons, Sauza tequila, Canadian Club whisky, Courvoisier cognac, DeKuyper cordials, Starbucks(TM) Coffee Liqueur, Laphroaig single malt Scotch, Vox vodka and Clos du Bois and Geyser Peak wines."

Sauza, Canadian Club, Courvoisier, Laphroaig and Clos du Bois were all part of the Allied Deal, along with Maker's. Although those brands were new, the rest of the statement read pretty much the way it had for some time, probably since the Starbucks launch early last year.

Now, however, that section reads like this: "Jim Beam Brands Worldwide, Inc. is the company's spirits and wine business. Major spirits and wine brands include Jim Beam and Maker's Mark bourbons, Sauza tequila, Canadian Club whisky, Courvoisier cognac, DeKuyper cordials, Starbucks(TM) Coffee Liqueur, Laphroaig single malt Scotch, Vox vodka and Clos du Bois and Geyser Peak wines."

So, there you are.

[TNbourbon]

Chuck, you sent me looking at www.jimbeambrands.com, and Maker's is now also prominent in their brands mural atop the page. And, in the attachment below, they seem to have moved mention of Knob Creek to align it more singly with the Small Batch Collection, as in "Knob Creek bourbon and the Small Batch Bourbon Collection" (see top of Page 4).
Certainly good news for fans of Maker's Mark, it seems.
Also, I note the corporate name has changed to Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc.

[Gillman]

I am not sure yet of the exact proportion, but I would advise Beam Global Brands to consider a new brand, one that combines Maker's Mark (wheated) bourbon with one of its traditional rye recipe bourbons. Beam Black and Maker's 1:1 say, call it Mack Black.

Gary

[gr8erdane]

I guess Black Mark would never pass muster....

[ProofPositive]

Certainly good news for fans of Maker's Mark, it seems.

As a longtime fan of MM, this does appear to be good news.....and, hope it stays that way.

[ProofPositive]

I guess Black Mark would never pass muster....

Doubt it would.....but, what about Jim Baeker's Mark? Best to put the 'e' in there to avoid conflict with the former evangelist/ex-con.

[pepcycle]

How about Makers Bakers or vica versa?
Even Make Book might fly for the gamblers.
OK this is silly.
I'll stop.

[cowdery]

"...playing to the double-entendre of 'beam' as it relates to light, balance and
structural support."

Oh, really?

[Joeluka]

Do you think we'll see some new expressions of MM in the future (Single-Barrel, Barrel-Proof....) or do you think Beam will bottle a new wheater for their small batch collection???


Joe

[ProofPositive]

"...playing to the double-entendre of 'beam' as it relates to light, balance and
structural support."

Oh, really?

Not hard for me to relate Beam to 'structural support'. IMHO, that is what it tastes like.......an old rotting wood post which is helping to barely hold up a delapidated old barn. As to 'light' & 'balance', about the last word to relate those words is Beam......again IMHO.

Now, ask me what I really think of it!