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NEW YORK — The maker of classic American whiskeys Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark has agreed to be acquired by a Japanese company in a $13.62 billion deal that would create the third-largest global premium spirits business.
Shares of Beam Inc. rose 24 percent Monday after it said that it agreed to be purchased by Suntory Holdings Ltd., a Japanese beverage company. The combined company would have annual sales of more than $4.3 billion.
It also comes at a time when the taste for bourbon — a type of American whisky — continues to grow domestically and abroad.
The Associated Press
