Beam Launches Investor Road Show in Advance of Becoming Pure-Play Spirits Company

Beam, the spirits business of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE: FO), today began its equity road show to present the company’s value proposition to current and prospective investors. As previously announced, upon the expected separation of Fortune Brands’ businesses, Beam will become an independent pure-play spirits company and will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BEAM effective October 4, 2011. The road show presentation is publicly available under "Webcasts and Presentations” in the Investor Relations section of the Fortune Brands web site, www.fortunebrands.com.

In the presentation, the company establishes its long-term growth goals, including outperforming its global spirits market expected to grow at a low-to-mid-single-digit rate, growing operating income faster than sales, and delivering high-single-digit growth in EPS and improved returns.

"Our message to investors is simple,” said Matt Shattock, president and chief executive officer of Beam. "Beam is primed to accelerate profitable growth and deliver long-term value for shareholders.”

"Through a series of deliberate strategic choices, we’ve reshaped the Beam portfolio, we’ve invested to strengthen our routes to market and accelerate the growth of our brands, and we’ve put together a team built to win,” Shattock continued. "We like where we are on Beam’s journey. With our unique combination of scale with agility, and our proven strategy, we’ll be sharply focused on outperforming and accelerating profitable growth in 2012 and beyond, with operating income growing ahead of sales and EPS growing even faster. We’ve generated excellent momentum in the global spirits marketplace, we’re confident in our prospects to create even greater value, and we see a bright and prosperous future as a leader in the dynamic spirits industry.”

The company also reaffirmed its target for high-single-digit growth in adjusted pro forma diluted EPS for 2011 against a base of $1.92 in 2010. In addition, it expects to continue to pay an annual dividend of 76 cents.

The road show will consist of Beam management meetings with investors, prospective investors and securities analysts throughout the month of September. It will include a presentation to the Barclay’s Consumer Conference that will begin at approximately 3:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, September 8, 2011. A webcast of the presentation will be available under "Webcasts and Presentations” in the Investor Relations section of the Fortune Brands web site, www.fortunebrands.com.

About Fortune Brands

Fortune Brands, Inc. is a leading consumer brands company. Its operating companies have premier brands and leading market positions in distilled spirits and home and security products. The major spirits brands of Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. include Jim Beam and Maker's Mark bourbon, Sauza tequila, Canadian Club whisky, Courvoisier cognac, Cruzan rum, Teacher's and Laphroaig Scotch, EFFEN vodka, Skinnygirl cocktails and DeKuyper cordials. The brands of Fortune Brands Home & Security LLC include Moen faucets, Aristokraft, Omega, Diamond and Kitchen Craft cabinetry, Therma-Tru door systems, Simonton windows, Master Lock security products and Waterloo storage and organization products. Fortune Brands, headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol FO and is included in the S&P 500 Index and the MSCI World Index.

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Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements relating to future results, which are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and the company does not assume any obligation to update, amend or clarify them to reflect events, new information or circumstances occurring after the date of this release. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to: general economic conditions; competitive market pressures (including pricing pressures); successful development of new products and processes; consolidation of customers; customer defaults and related bad debt expense; unanticipated developments that delay or negatively impact the proposed separation; disruption to operations as a result of the proposed separation; inability of one or more of the businesses to operate independently following the completion of the proposed separation; risks pertaining to strategic acquisitions and joint ventures, including the potential financial effects and performance of such acquisitions or joint ventures, and integration of acquisitions and the related confirmation or remediation of internal controls over financial reporting; any possible downgrades of the Company's credit ratings; volatility of financial and credit markets, which could affect access to capital for the Company, its customers and consumers; interest rate fluctuations; commodity and energy price volatility; risks associated with doing business outside the United States, including currency exchange rate risks; ability to secure and maintain rights to intellectual property; inability to attract and retain qualified personnel; the status of the U.S. rum excise tax cover-over program; the impact of excise tax increases on distilled spirits; dependence on performance of distributors and other marketing arrangements; costs of certain employee and retiree benefits and returns on pension assets; tax law changes and/or interpretation of existing tax laws; potential liabilities, costs and uncertainties of litigation; historical consolidated financial statements that may not be indicative of future conditions and results; impairment in the carrying value of goodwill or other acquired intangible assets; weather and natural disasters; as well as other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

The potential separation of Fortune Brands' companies will be subject to the receipt of a number of customary regulatory approvals and/or rulings, the execution of intercompany agreements and finalization of other related matters. There can be no assurance that any of the proposed transactions will be completed as anticipated or at all.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information

This press release includes measures not derived in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP”), such as adjusted pro forma diluted earnings per share. These measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for any measure derived in accordance with GAAP, and may also be inconsistent with similar measures presented by other companies. Reconciliation of these measures to the most closely comparable GAAP measures, and reasons for the company’s use of these measures, are presented in the attached pages.