COORS TO BUY CARLING

Adolph Coors Co. agreed to purchase the Carlingdivision from Interbrew SA for $1.7 billion, in a dealthat gives Coors one of the leading beer brands inBritain and turns a backwater no. 3 Colorado brewerinto a global player. The deal was announced onChristmas Eve.BBD readers remember that British regulators inSeptember demanded that Interbrew sell some of itsassets in order to allay competition concerns stemmingfrom the Belgian company's $3.3 billion acquisition ofBass Brewers last year. Carling, the U.K.'ssecond-largest brewer, manufactures the country'stop-selling