In case you had any doubts, it’s official. Diageo (DEO), the world’s largest spirits maker, will not be buying Beam, Inc. (BEAM) for its bourbon portfolio. CEO Ivan Menezes said this week that Diageo would be expanding its existing portfolio of whiskeys and launching new ones, and adding for emphasis that “we don’t need to” buy Beam. I told you...Read More

Back in June, I mused that Diageo (NYSE:$DEO), the maker of Johnny Walker Scotch whisky and other brands, was “The Ultimate 12- to 18-Year Investment.” It was, of course, a reference to the length of time that Scotch needs to be aged in order to be marketable (or drinkable).  Scotch can be officially be called...Read More

In the whiskey swilling days of my youth, I always preferred Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey to Jim Beam Kentucky Bourbon. I was far from a whiskey connoisseur, but it just seemed to go down smoother. Regrettably, I’m not as young as I used to be and, to quote Hank Williams, Jr., “corn bread and iced...Read More