Beam’s Bourbon Growth Fills Softness from Skinnygirl

Dear Client: Continued strong growth by Beam's bourbon brands helped offset softness in its ready-to-serve products, namely Skinnygirl, said chief Matt Shattock during the company's Q2 (ended June 30) earnings conference call. Adjusted net sales in the quarter grew 10.5% in North America, and 13.8% in the first half. Per Nielsen, Beam was up 1.1% in sales and 0.1% in volume in the 12-weeks ended July 20. Average pricing was up 1%. Looking ahead, Beam estimates that it will grow