Het Whisky Forum

Het Britse drankenconcern Diageo neemt voor 2,1 miljard dollar (1,7 miljard euro) een belang van 53,4 procent in de Indiase branchegenoot United Spirits.

Door een controlerend belang te nemen krijgt Diageo, nu al 's werelds grootste producent van sterke drank, een nog groter deel van de snel groeiende Indiase markt in handen. Topman Vijay Mallya blijft na de overname aan bij United Spirits.

De twee bedrijven flirtten al vaker met elkaar. In 2009 werden onderhandelingen over een fusie nog voortijdig afgebroken, maar in september werd bekendgemaakt dat Diageo en United Spirits opnieuw met elkaar in gesprek waren.

WHEN mergers involving Scotland's two national drinks happen within a week of each other it counts as an odd coincidence. It may also hold a lesson for the way the world is going, at least for makers of branded consumer goods.

Drinks giant Diageo has held talks with the Japanese brewer Suntory about acquiring bourbon whisky producer Beam for more than $10bn (£6.2bn).

City sources said Diageo, whose brands include Guinness, Smirnoff and Baileys, held the discussions with Suntory in the spring and summer about working together on buying US-based Beam.
Diageo, the world’s largest whisky distiller, is interested only in a limited range of Beam’s brands, which include the bourbon whisky Jim Beam.
Working with a partner on a joint bid would also help the London-listed drinks group get past competition hurdles.
Beam’s other brands vary from bourbon whiskies, such as Maker’s Mark, to Scotch whiskies, including Laphroaig, and also some rums, tequilas and vodkas.
Suntory is one of Japan’s largest drinks companies. It owns Japanese whisky brands such as Yamazaki, and imports and distributes a wide range of Western whiskies, including Beam’s Laphroaig, a strongly flavoured single malt from the Scottish island Islay.