Kimberley Bennett Named Director of Beam Heritage Center

KIMBERLEY BENNETT NAMED DIRECTOR, BEAM HERITAGE CENTER
New Beam visitors’ experience slated to open fall 2012

Clermont, KY (March 26, 2012) — Jim Beam, the world’s number one selling Bourbon, has named Kimberley Bennett Director, Beam Heritage Center. In this role, Bennett will be responsible for the ramp-up plans, training and ultimate day-to-day operations of the new Beam heritage center, a multi-million dollar, state-of-the-art visitors’ experience at the home of Jim Beam in Clermont, K.Y. Upon completion in the fall of 2012, the Center will offer a complete bourbon experience, from the illustrious seven-generation history of the Beam family, to the art of bourbon-making.

Bennett has spent her career leading hospitality programs for well-known organizations, including the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and as the Director of Hospitality Programs for The World Equestrian Games.

“Our new Jim Beam Heritage Center will showcase our past, present and future of Jim Beam,” said Jeff Conder, Vice President, North American Operations, Beam Inc. “With her unique skill set in consumer experiential, hospitality and events, Kim will be the perfect leader of our new center as she ensures that everyone who visits Jim Beam comes as friends, but leaves as family.”

According to Conder, the new Jim Beam Heritage Center is part of a significant tourism project that will allow the distillery to host more than 200,000 guests a year — more than double the previous number of guests it has been able to accommodate — and be a key stop for the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

“Our distillery and the Beam family are the essence of bourbon,” said Conder. “The Beam Heritage Center will celebrate our deep history, extensive Bourbon portfolio and the details of the Beams, the first family of Bourbon.”

In addition to naming Bennett to the Director post, Beam also named long-time employees Linda Hayes the Center’s Trade and Hospitality Manager and Debbie Faust Still House and Outpost Manager.

Hayes, a Beam veteran with more than 30 years at the company, will oversee the overall visitor experiences for special guests. Faust, who started as the Beam Outpost Manager in 2006, will oversee the Center’s retail operation.

”Linda and Debbie are vital members of the distillery experience,” said Conder. “Together with Kim Bennett, they will make a wonderful team.”

Additional information about the history and heritage of Beam Inc., and its family of bourbons can be found at www.jimbeam.com and www.beamglobal.com.

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About Beam Inc.
As one of the world’s leading premium spirits companies, Beam is Crafting the Spirits that Stir the World. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company’s brands, including Jim Beam Bourbon, Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Sauza Tequila, Canadian Club Whisky, Courvoisier Cognac, Teacher’s Scotch Whisky, Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey, Laphroaig Scotch Whisky, Cruzan Rum, Hornitos Tequila, Knob Creek Bourbon, EFFEN Vodka, Pucker Flavored Vodka, Larios Gin, Whisky DYC, DeKuyper Cordials, and Skinnygirl Cocktails. Beam is focused on delivering superior performance with its unique combination of scale with agility and a strategy of Creating Famous Brands, Building Winning Markets and Fueling Our Growth. Beam and its 3,200 passionate associates worldwide generated 2011 sales of $2.8 billion, volume of 34 million 9-liter cases and some of the industry’s fastest growing innovations. Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, Beam is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BEAM and is included in the S&P 500 Index and the MSCI World Index. For more information on Beam, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamglobal.com and www.drinksmart.com.

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© 2012 Beam Inc., Deerfield, IL