Diageo plc () is a
multinational alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage (also called an alcoholic drink, adult beverage, or a drink) is a drink that contains ethanol, a type of alcohol that acts as a drug and is produced by fermentation of grains, fruits, or other sources of sugar. The c ...
company, with its headquarters in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, England. It operates from 132 sites around the world.
[ It was the world's largest distiller before being overtaken by ]Kweichow Moutai
Kweichow Moutai Co., Ltd. is a partial publicly traded, partial state-owned enterprise in China, specializing in the production and sales of the spirit Maotai baijiu, together with the production and sale of beverage, food and packaging materi ...
of China in 2017. It is a major distributor of Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky (; sco, Scots whisky/whiskie, whusk(e)y; often simply called whisky or Scotch) is malt whisky or grain whisky (or a blend of the two), made in Scotland.
All Scotch whisky was originally made from malted barley. Commercial distil ...
and other spirits.
Its leading brands include Johnnie Walker
Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch whisky now owned by Diageo that originated in the Scottish burgh of Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire. The brand was first established by grocer John Walker. It is the most widely distributed brand of blended ...
, Guinness
Guinness () is an Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in 1759. It is one of the most successful alcohol brands worldwide, brewed in almost 50 countries, and available in ove ...
, Smirnoff
Smirnoff (; ) is a brand of vodka owned and produced by the British company Diageo. The Smirnoff brand began with a vodka distillery founded in Moscow by Pyotr Arsenievich Smirnov (1831–1898). It is distributed in 130 countries. Smirnoff produ ...
, Baileys
Baileys Irish Cream is an Irish cream liqueur, an alcoholic drink flavoured with cream, cocoa and Irish whiskey. It is made by Diageo at Nangor Road, in Dublin, Ireland and in Mallusk, Northern Ireland. It is the original Irish cream, invente ...
liqueur, Captain Morgan
Captain Morgan is a brand of flavored rums (including, in Europe, some rum-flavored "premium spirit drinks") produced by British alcohol conglomerate Diageo. It is named after the 17th-century Welsh privateer of the Caribbean, Sir Henry Morgan. ...
rum
Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Rum is produced in nearly every sugar-producing region of the world, such as the Ph ...
and Tanqueray
Tanqueray is an English brand of gin produced by Diageo plc. It originated in London. In 2016 it displaced Beefeater as the number one global seller. While it does not command a sizable market share in its native market, its largest market i ...
and Gordon's gin.
Diageo has a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange (LSE) is a stock exchange in the City of London, England, United Kingdom. , the total market value of all companies trading on LSE was £3.9 trillion. Its current premises are situated in Paternoster Square close to St Pau ...
and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index
The Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index, also called the FTSE 100 Index, FTSE 100, FTSE, or, informally, the "Footsie" , is a share index of the 100 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange with (in principle) the highest market ...
. It has a secondary listing on the New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed c ...
.
Name
Diageo is an invented name that was created by the branding consultancy Wolff Olins
Wolff Olins is a British advertising agency and corporate identity consultancy. It was started in 1965 and has offices in London, New York City and San Francisco. It now employs some 150 designers, strategists, technologists, programme managers ...
in 1997. The name is composed of the Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
word ''diēs'', meaning "day", and the Greek root
The English language uses many Greek and Latin roots, stems, and prefixes. These roots are listed alphabetically on three pages:
* Greek and Latin roots from A to G
* Greek and Latin roots from H to O
* Greek and Latin roots from P to Z.
Some ...
''geo-'', meaning "world"; and is meant to reference the company slogan "Celebrating Life, Every Day, Everywhere".
History
Diageo was formed in 1997 from the merger of Guinness plc
St. James's Gate Brewery is a brewery founded in 1759 in Dublin, Ireland, by Arthur Guinness. The company is now a part of Diageo, a company formed from the merger of Guinness and Grand Metropolitan in 1997. The main product of the brewery is ...
and Grand Metropolitan
Grand Metropolitan plc was a leisure, manufacturing and property conglomerate headquartered in England. The company was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index until it merged with Guinness plc to form ...
. Its creation was driven by the executives Anthony Greener and Philip Yea
Philip Edward Yea (born 11 December 1954) is a British businessman and private equity investor, and the chairman of Equiniti and Mondi plc. He is a non-executive director of Aberdeen Standard Asia Focus plc and Marshall of Cambridge (Holdings) L ...
at Guinness, along with George Bull and John McGrath of Grand Metropolitan. Anthony Greener was the first executive chairman. Shares in Diageo began trading on the London Stock Exchange on 17 December 1997.
Diageo sold Bombay Sapphire gin to Bacardi
Bacardi Limited (; ) is one of the largest privately held, family-owned spirits companies in the world. Originally known for its Bacardi brand of white rum, it now has a portfolio of more than 200 brands and labels. Founded in Cuba in 1862 an ...
in 1997.
Diageo owned Pillsbury until 2000 when it was sold to General Mills. In 2002, Diageo sold the Burger King
Burger King (BK) is an American-based multinational chain store, chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based res ...
fast food restaurant chain to a consortium led by US firm Texas Pacific for US$1.5 billion.
In 2001, Diageo acquired the Seagram
The Seagram Company Ltd. (which traded as Seagram's) was a Canadian multinational conglomerate formerly headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. Originally a distiller of Canadian whisky based in Waterloo, Ontario, it was once (in the 1990s) the lar ...
's spirits and wine businesses.
In 2003, Diageo signed a joint venture with tequila brand Jose Cuervo
Jose Cuervo is the best-selling brand of tequila,Dana Cimilluca, Paul Sonne and Simon Zekaria“Diageo Ends Its Attempt to Buy Jose Cuervo Tequila,”''Wall Street Journal'', December 11, 2012. selling a fifth of the tequila consumed worldwide. ...
to buy Don Julio
Don Julio is a brand of tequila produced in Mexico. It is the largest brand in value and eighth largest in volume. It is distilled, manufactured, bottled, sold, and distributed by Tequila Don Julio, S.A. de C.V. from its corporate facility in t ...
Tequila, selling Jose Cuervo a 50 per cent stake for US$100 million.
In February 2011, Diageo agreed to acquire the Turkish liquor company Mey Icki for US$2.1 billion.
In May 2012, Diageo agreed to acquire Ypióca, the largest-selling brand of premium cachaça
''Cachaça'' () is a distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice. Also known as ''pinga'', ''caninha'', and other names, it is the most popular spirit among distilled alcoholic beverages in Brazil.Cavalcante, Messias Soares. Todos os no ...
in Brazil, for £300 million.
In June 2012, Diageo announced a £1 billion investment in Scotch whisky production over the following five years, with at least one new distillery to be constructed, several existing facilities to be expanded, and overall production capacity to be increased by 30 to 40 per cent. This did not, however, involve retaining the original Johnnie Walker
Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch whisky now owned by Diageo that originated in the Scottish burgh of Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire. The brand was first established by grocer John Walker. It is the most widely distributed brand of blended ...
plant, in Kilmarnock, which had already closed its doors in March of the same year.
In November 2012, Diageo acquired 53.4 per cent stake in the Indian spirits company United Spirits
United Spirits Limited, abbreviated to USL, is an Indian alcoholic beverages company, and the world's second-largest spirits company by volume. It is a subsidiary of Diageo, and headquartered at UB Tower in Bangalore, Karnataka. USL exports i ...
for £1.28 billion.
Since 2011, Diageo has had a controlling stake in the parent company Sichan Chengdu Shuijingfang Group Company, which it bought outright in 2013.
In November 2014, Diageo agreed to sell Bushmills
Bushmills (From Irish ''Muileann na Buaise'') is a village on the north coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Bushmills had a population of 1,295 in the 2011 Census. This article contains quotations from this source, which is available under ...
Irish whiskey to Jose Cuervo in exchange for US$408 million and full ownership of tequila brand Don Julio.
In April 2015, Diageo acquired a 100 percent share in South African beer producer United National Breweries (UNB), but it was announced in December 2018 that Diageo had entered into an agreement for the sale of UNB, expected to close in the second half of 2019.
In October 2015, Diageo announced the sale of most of its wine business to Treasury Wine Estates
Treasury Wine Estates is an Australian global winemaking and distribution business with headquarters in Melbourne. It was formerly the wine division of international brewing company Foster's Group.
History Background
Treasury Wine Estates traces ...
. Other brands, such as Navarro Correas and Chalone Vineyard
Chalone Vineyard is located in the Chalone AVA south of San Francisco, California, United States, on an unusual geological formation called the Gavilan benchland. The soil is rich in limestone and calcium carbonate and also contains a signifi ...
, were sold separately.
In December 2015, Diageo announced a US$10 million investment in Danish whisky brand Stauning, to facilitate expansion of production.
In March 2016, the company sold Grand Marnier
Grand Marnier () is a French brand of liqueurs. The brand's best-known product is Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge, an orange-flavored liqueur created in 1880 by Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle. It is made from a blend of Cognac brandy, distilled esse ...
, a cognac
Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the Communes of France, commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the Departments of France, departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime.
Cog ...
and bitter orange-based liqueur, to the Italian beverage company Campari Group
Davide Campari-Milano N.V., trading as Campari Group, is an Italian company active since 1860 in the branded beverage industry. It produces spirits, wines, and non-alcoholic apéritifs. From its signature product, Campari, its portfolio has been ...
.
In February 2017, Diageo announced plans to open a Guinness brewery and tourist attraction in Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County ( , locally: or ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland and is part of the Baltimore metropolitan area. Baltimore County (which partially surrounds, though does not include, the independent City of ...
. The brewery could potentially host as many as 300,000 visitors per year.
In June 2017, the Casamigos
Casamigos, often Casamigos Tequila is an American tequila company founded by George Clooney, Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman. It is owned by Diageo since 2017.
Founded by the actor and two businessmen, the company was sold to Diageo for US$1 bi ...
tequila brand – a super-premium US-based tequila, launched in 2013 – became the latest addition to Diageo.
In February 2018, Diageo announced plans for limited edition bottles of its 12-year-old Black Label blended whisky named Jane Walker, as opposed to Johnnie Walker, to be sold. The label featured a striding woman on the label, rather than the top-hatted man normally associated with the brand.
In November 2018, Diageo agreed to sell Seagram's VO, Seagram's 83, Myers's Rum
Myers's Rum is a brand of Jamaican rum produced by Sazerac.
Named after brand founder Frederick Louis Myers, the molasses-derived blend of up to nine rums has been produced since 1879. Myers's rum uses "only pure Jamaican molasses" and is "produce ...
, Popov vodka, Booth's Gin
Booth's Gin is a once well-known and widely consumed make of London dry gin, recently reintroduced after years of being unavailable. It was founded by a Lincolnshire branch of the ancient Booth family in about 1740.
Booth's Gin was most famousl ...
, Goldschläger
''Goldschläger'' is a Swiss cinnamon schnapps (43.5% alcohol by volume or 87 proof; originally it was 53.5% alcohol or 107 proof), a liqueur with very thin, yet visible flakes of gold floating in it. The actual amount of gold has been measur ...
, Yukon Jack
Y'Garon
Y'Garon is a demon who has clashed with Marada the She-Wolf and Dracula.
Yandroth
Yandroth was the humanoid Scientist Supreme of the " otherdimensional" planet "Yann" and a would-be-conqueror who, with his robot Voltorg, has fought Doc ...
, Sambuca
Sambuca () is an Italian anise-flavoured, usually colourless, liqueur. Its most common variety is often referred to as ''white sambuca'' to differentiate it from other varieties that are deep blue (''black sambuca'') or bright red (''red sambuc ...
, and 11 other brands to the Sazerac Company
Sazerac Company, Inc is a privately held American alcoholic beverage company headquartered in Metairie in the metropolitan area of New Orleans, Louisiana, but with its principal office in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is owned by billionair ...
for US$550 million.
In February 2019, Diageo increased its stake in Chinese baijiu
''Baijiu'' (), also known as ''shaojiu'' (/), is a colorless Chinese liquor typically coming in between 35% and 60% alcohol by volume (ABV). Each type of baijiu uses its own type of '' qū'' for fermentation to create a distinct and chara ...
company Sichuan Shuijingfang Company Limited (SJF) to almost 70% through a partial-tender offer.
In August 2019, Diageo bought the majority stake in Seedlip
Seedlip is a British company that makes plant-based liquor substitutes for use in non-alcoholic mixed drinks.
Seedlip describes its products as "the world's first distilled non-alcoholic spirits". They are sold in three varieties: "Garden 108" ...
, a non-alcoholic spirits brand.
In January 2020, Diageo agreed to pay US$5 million to settle charges brought by the US Securities and Exchange Commission
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The primary purpose of the SEC is to enforce the law against market ...
that alleged the company had pressured distributors to buy products in excess of demand in order to hit performance goals.
In October 2021, Diageo announced plans to invest $500m to expand its manufacturing in Mexico for the tequila category. Construction of the new facilities in Jalisco
Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal En ...
, Mexico is expected to begin in 2021.
In October 2022, it was announced Diageo had acquired the Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal Au ...
cold brew coffee liqueur brand, Mr Black.
In November 2022, it was announced that Diageo would acquire Balcones Distilling, a whiskey distiller based in Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
.
Brands
Diageo's beverage brands include:
Scotch whisky:
Johnnie Walker
Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch whisky now owned by Diageo that originated in the Scottish burgh of Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire. The brand was first established by grocer John Walker. It is the most widely distributed brand of blended ...
, Buchanan's
Buchanan's is a brand of Scotch whisky produced by Diageo in Scotland.
History
James Buchanan, 1st Baron Woolavington, James Buchanan, born in Canada but son of Scotland, Scottish immigrants, returned to the United Kingdom shortly after he was b ...
, Cardhu, Justerini & Brooks, Bell's, Black & White, White Horse
A white horse is born predominantly white and stays white throughout its life. A white horse has mostly pink skin under its hair coat, and may have brown, blue, or hazel eyes. "True white" horses, especially those that carry one of the dominant ...
, Logan
Logan may refer to:
Places
* Mount Logan (disambiguation)
Australia
* Logan (Queensland electoral district), an electoral district in the Queensland Legislative Assembly
* Logan, Victoria, small locality near St. Arnaud
* Logan City, local gover ...
, Caol Ila
Caol (Gaelic: ''An Caol'') is a village near Fort William, in the Highland council area of Scotland. It is about north of Fort William town centre, on the shore of Loch Linnhe, and within the parish of Kilmallie.
The name "Caol" is from the G ...
, Vat 69
Vat 69 is a blended Scotch whisky created by William Sanderson & Son Limited of South Queensferry, Scotland, now part of Diageo.
History
William Sanderson was born in Leith, Scotland January 27, 1839. He started an apprenticeship with wine ...
, Oban
Oban ( ; ' in Scottish Gaelic meaning ''The Little Bay'') is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William. During the tourist season, th ...
, Talisker, Lagavulin
Lagavulin ( gd, Lag a' Mhuilinn, "hollow of the mill") is a small village approximately outside Port Ellen on the Isle of Islay, Scotland. The village is within the parish of Kildalton, and is situated on the A846 road
The A846 road is one o ...
, Glenkinchie
Glenkinchie Distillery is a Scotch single malt whisky distillery in East Lothian, Scotland. It is one of the six distilleries in the Lowland region. It is owned by the drinks giant Diageo.
The Distillery
Glenkinchie lies, as the name might s ...
, Dalwhinnie
Dalwhinnie ( ; Scottish Gaelic: ''Dail Chuinnidh'' "meeting place") is a small village in the Scottish Highlands. Dalwhinnie is located at the head of Glen Truim and the north-east end of Loch Ericht, on the western edge of the Cairngorms Natio ...
, Cragganmore
Cragganmore distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery situated in the village of Ballindalloch in Banffshire, Scotland.
The distillery was founded in 1869 by John Smith on land leased from Sir George Macpherson-Grant. The site was chosen by Smi ...
, Clynelish, The Singleton ( Glen Ord, Dufftown
Dufftown ( gd, Baile Bhainidh ) is a burgh in Moray, Scotland. While the town is part of the historic Mortlach parish, the town was established and laid out in the early 19th century as part of a planned new town settlement. The town has several ...
, Glendullan), Dimple
A dimple, also called a gelasin (, ) is a small natural indentation in the flesh on a part of the human body, most notably in the cheek. Numerous cultures believe that cheek dimples are a good luck charm that entices people who perceive them as ...
, Royal Lochnagar, Glen Elgin
Glen Elgin distillery is a Scotch single malt whisky distillery in Fogwatt, Moray, Scotland.
The distilery was founded in 1898, and is now owned by Diageo.
The whisky produced is used in White Horse blends and since 1977 in single malt whis ...
, Knockando, Windsor
Windsor may refer to:
Places Australia
* Windsor, New South Wales
** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area
* Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland
**Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...
, Grand Old Parr
Grand Old Parr (often simply just Old Parr) is a blended Scotch whisky produced by Diageo in Scotland. Is named after the Old Tom Parr, the reputed oldest man in England. Launched in 1909, it is found in export markets such as Japan, Mexico, Sou ...
, Auchroisk
The Auchroisk distillery is a whisky distillery in Banffshire, speyside Scotland. It was established after Dorie's Well was discovered and found to have water similar to the water used by the Glen Spey distillery, which was used by Justerini & B ...
, Benrinnes, Blair Athol, Dailuaine, Glenlossie, Glen Spey, Inchgower, Linkwood, Mannochmore, Mortlach, Strathmill, Teaninich.
Irish whiskey:
Roe & Co
American whiskey:
Bulleit, Seagram's Seven Crown
Seagram's Seven Crown, also called Seagram's Seven, is an American blended whiskey produced by Diageo under the Seagram's name. Seagram's beverage division was acquired by Diageo, Pernod Ricard, and The Coca-Cola Company in 2000.
Seagram's Seve ...
, George Dickel
George Dickel is a brand of Tennessee whisky produced in Tullahoma, in Coffee County, Tennessee. Today owned by Diageo, the modern brand was introduced in 1964, though the distillery has a longer history. Whisky production and aging takes pl ...
, Balcones
Canadian whisky:
Crown Royal
Crown Royal, also known as Seagram's Crown Royal, is a blended Canadian whisky brand created by Seagram and owned by Diageo since 2000. Production of Crown Royal is done at Gimli, Manitoba, while the blending and bottling of the whisky are done ...
, Piehole Whiskey
Brandy:
Cîroc
Cîroc is a brand of alcoholic beverages produced in France since 2003 and distributed by the British-based multinational alcoholic beverage maker Diageo. The brand family includes vodka, flavored products containing vodka, and brandy. Since ...
VS
Vodka:
Smirnoff
Smirnoff (; ) is a brand of vodka owned and produced by the British company Diageo. The Smirnoff brand began with a vodka distillery founded in Moscow by Pyotr Arsenievich Smirnov (1831–1898). It is distributed in 130 countries. Smirnoff produ ...
, Cîroc
Cîroc is a brand of alcoholic beverages produced in France since 2003 and distributed by the British-based multinational alcoholic beverage maker Diageo. The brand family includes vodka, flavored products containing vodka, and brandy. Since ...
, Ketel One
Ketel (Dutch for: ''Pot still'') One is a Distilled beverage, liquor brand of the Nolet Distillery in Schiedam, Netherlands. Ketel One Vodka is distilled from 100% wheat in copper pot stills, filtered over loose charcoal, and rests in tile-lined ...
Rum:
Captain Morgan
Captain Morgan is a brand of flavored rums (including, in Europe, some rum-flavored "premium spirit drinks") produced by British alcohol conglomerate Diageo. It is named after the 17th-century Welsh privateer of the Caribbean, Sir Henry Morgan. ...
, Bundaberg
Bundaberg is a city in the Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia, and is the tenth largest city in the state. Bundaberg's regional area has a population of 70,921, and is a major centre of the Wide Bay–Burnett geographical region. The Bun ...
, Pampero, Cacique
A ''cacique'' (Latin American ; ; feminine form: ''cacica'') was a tribal chieftain of the Taíno people, the indigenous inhabitants at European contact of the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. The term is a Spa ...
, Zacapa
Zacapa () is the departmental capital municipality of Zacapa Department, one of the 22 Departments of Guatemala. It is located approximately from Guatemala City.
Sports
Football club Deportivo Zacapa competes in Guatemala's top division and p ...
Mixed drinks:
Smirnoff Cocktails, Loyal 9 Cocktails
Liqueur:
Baileys
Baileys Irish Cream is an Irish cream liqueur, an alcoholic drink flavoured with cream, cocoa and Irish whiskey. It is made by Diageo at Nangor Road, in Dublin, Ireland and in Mallusk, Northern Ireland. It is the original Irish cream, invente ...
, Sheridan's, Pimm's
Pimm's is an English brand of gin-based fruit cup but may also be considered a liqueur or the basis of a sling or punch. It was first produced in 1823 by James Pimm and has been owned by Diageo since 1997. Its most popular product is Pimm's No ...
Tequila:
Don Julio
Don Julio is a brand of tequila produced in Mexico. It is the largest brand in value and eighth largest in volume. It is distilled, manufactured, bottled, sold, and distributed by Tequila Don Julio, S.A. de C.V. from its corporate facility in t ...
, DeLeón, Casamigos
Casamigos, often Casamigos Tequila is an American tequila company founded by George Clooney, Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman. It is owned by Diageo since 2017.
Founded by the actor and two businessmen, the company was sold to Diageo for US$1 bi ...
Gin:
Aviation Gin
Aviation American Gin, also known as Aviation Gin, is a brand of gin first produced in Portland, Oregon, by founders Christian Krogstad and Ryan Magarian in 2006. It is referred to by some as an "American dry gin" and is produced by House Spir ...
, Gordon's, Tanqueray
Tanqueray is an English brand of gin produced by Diageo plc. It originated in London. In 2016 it displaced Beefeater as the number one global seller. While it does not command a sizable market share in its native market, its largest market i ...
, Gilbey's
Various:
McDowell's
Baijiu:
Shui Jing Fang,
Rakı:
Yeni Rakı, Tekirdağ Rakısı, Kulüp Rakı, Altınbaş, İzmir Rakısı, Civan Rakı, Tayfa Rakı
Cachaça:
Ypióca
Beer:
Guinness
Guinness () is an Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in 1759. It is one of the most successful alcohol brands worldwide, brewed in almost 50 countries, and available in ove ...
, Harp Lager, Hop House 13
Hop House 13 is an Irish lager, produced by Diageo (owners of Guinness).
Background
Hop House 13 is brewed by the Brewers Project, which also manufactures Guinness Dublin Porter, Guinness West Indies Porter and Guinness Golden Ale. The beer is n ...
, Kilkenny
Kilkenny (). is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512.
Kilken ...
, Rockshore Irish Lager, Senator, Meta Abo, Smithwick's
Smithwick's () is an Irish red ale-style beer.
Smithwick's brewery was founded in Kilkenny in 1710 by John Smithwick and run by the Smithwick family of Kilkenny until 1965 when it was acquired by Guinness, now part of Diageo. The Kilkenny br ...
, Tusker
Cider:
Rockshore Apple Cider
Hard seltzer:
Rockshore Hard seltzer
Worldwide
Diageo operates in 180 countries across five regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
Awards and rankings
In 2016, Diageo was ranked 11th out of 4,255 companies worldwide for diversity and inclusiveness in the Thomson Reuters Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Index.
Operations
Diageo also owns a 34% stake in the Moet Hennessy drinks division of French luxury goods company LVMH
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (), commonly known as LVMH, is a French holding multinational corporation and conglomerate specializing in luxury goods, headquartered in Paris. The company was formed in 1987 through the merger of fashion house ...
.
In 2017, the company was awarded top place in the Institute of Directors
The Institute of Directors (IoD) is a British professional organisation for company directors, senior business leaders and entrepreneurs. It is the UK's longest running organisation for professional leaders, having been founded in 1903 and incor ...
' and Chartered Quality Institute's Good Governance Index.
Head office
Diageo's head office is in Great Marlborough Street, London after moving from its previous location in Park Royal
Park Royal is an area in North West London, England, partly in the London Borough of Brent and partly the London Borough of Ealing.
It is the site of the largest business park in London,
but despite intensive existing use, the area is, toget ...
, London Borough of Brent
The London Borough of Brent () is a London boroughs, London borough in north-west London. It borders the boroughs of London Borough of Harrow, Harrow to the north-west, London Borough of Barnet, Barnet to the north-east, London Borough of Camden ...
, on the site of a former Guinness
Guinness () is an Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in 1759. It is one of the most successful alcohol brands worldwide, brewed in almost 50 countries, and available in ove ...
brewery which had closed in 2004 after producing beer since 1936. Diageo's previous head office facility had been located in Henrietta Place, in the Marylebone
Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary.
An Civil parish#Ancient parishes, ancient parish and latterly a ...
district of the City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and London boroughs, borough in Inner London. It is the site of the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and much of the British government. It occupies a large area of cent ...
in London, since 1996. In 2009, Diageo announced that it was closing the Henrietta Place facility as part of a cost reduction programme and moved its employees to the Park Royal site.
Controversies
In December 2003, Diageo provoked controversy over its decision to change its Cardhu brand Scotch whisky from a single malt to a blended malt
A blended malt, formerly called a vatted malt, or pure malt, is a blend of different single malt whiskies from different distilleries. These terms are most commonly used in reference to Scotch whisky, or whisky in that style, such as Japanese w ...
whilst retaining the original name and bottle style. Diageo took this action because it did not have sufficient reserves to meet demand in the Spanish market, where Cardhu had been successful. After a meeting of producers, Diageo agreed to make changes. In 2006, the Cardhu brand changed back to being a single malt.
In July 2009, Diageo announced that, after nearly 200 years of association with the town of Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock (, sco, Kilmaurnock; gd, Cill Mheàrnaig (IPA: ʰʲɪʎˈveaːɾnəkʲ, "Marnock's church") is a large town and former burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland and is the administrative centre of East Ayrshire, East Ayrshire Council. ...
, Scotland, they would be closing the Johnnie Walker
Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch whisky now owned by Diageo that originated in the Scottish burgh of Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire. The brand was first established by grocer John Walker. It is the most widely distributed brand of blended ...
blending and bottling plant as part of a restructuring to the business. This would make 700 workers unemployed and caused outrage from the press, local people, and politicians. A campaign against this decision was launched by the local SNP MSP Willie Coffey
William Lynch Coffey (born 24 May 1958) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley since 2011, and previously Kilmarnock and Loudoun from 2007 to 2011 ...
and Labour
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the labour ...
MP Des Browne
Desmond Henry Browne, Baron Browne of Ladyton, (born 22 March 1952) is a Scottish politician who served in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown as Secretary of State for Defence 2006 to 2008 and Secretary of St ...
. A petition was drawn up against the plans, which also involved the closure of the historic Port Dundas grain distillery in Glasgow.
In February 2009, it was reported in ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' that the company had restructured itself so as to avoid paying tax in the UK.
The National Puerto Rican Coalition planned to run a series of ads in New York City and Puerto Rico urging a boycott of Diageo-owned alcoholic drinks to protest the corporation's production move of its Captain Morgan
Captain Morgan is a brand of flavored rums (including, in Europe, some rum-flavored "premium spirit drinks") produced by British alcohol conglomerate Diageo. It is named after the 17th-century Welsh privateer of the Caribbean, Sir Henry Morgan. ...
rum from Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
to the U.S. Virgin Islands, which will provide it with US$2.7 billion in tax benefits over 30 years.
In 2011, Diageo agreed to pay more than US$16 million to settle U.S. civil regulatory charges that it made improper payments to foreign officials. Regulators accused the British company of violating the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (FCPA) (, ''et seq.'') is a United States federal law that prohibits U.S. citizens and entities from bribing foreign government officials to benefit their business interests.
The FCPA is applicable world ...
through its subsidiaries to obtain lucrative sales and tax benefits for its Johnnie Walker and Windsor Scotch whiskies and other brands.
On 9 May 2012 Scottish craft brewery BrewDog
BrewDog is a Multinational corporation, multinational brewery and pub chain based in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Ellon, Scotland. With production of over 800,000 hectolitres, BrewDog claims to be the "#1 Craft Brewer in Europe". It was founded in 200 ...
revealed that Diageo had threatened to withdraw funding from the British Institute of Innkeeping
The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) is the Professional association, professional body for individuals working in the licensed retail industry in the UK. This primarily includes pubs and bars.
Background
The BII is a registered charity a ...
Scotland's annual awards if BrewDog was to be named winner of the Best Bar Operator award. Diageo was forced to issue an apology.
In 2015, Diageo released an advertising campaign showing a young girl crying with her makeup smeared as her sister looks at her from the doorway, and the caption, "Who's following in your footsteps? Out of control drinking has consequences". The director of Rape Crisis Network Ireland said Diageo "blames victims of sexual violence for the crimes that have been committed against them. This is a harmful, regressive and hurtful message which targets the vulnerable."
In November 2016, Diageo announced its intention of selling at auction Sir Edwin Landseer
Sir Edwin Henry Landseer (7 March 1802 – 1 October 1873) was an English painter and sculptor, well known for his paintings of animals – particularly horses, dogs, and stags. However, his best-known works are the lion sculptures at the bas ...
's iconic 1851 painting The Monarch of the Glen – which the company owns, but which has been on loan to the National Museum of Scotland
The National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland, was formed in 2006 with the merger of the new Museum of Scotland, with collections relating to Scottish antiquities, culture and history, and the adjacent Royal Scottish Museum (opened in ...
in Edinburgh since 1999 – as it has "no direct link to our business or brands". Ian Jack
Ian Grant Jack (7 February 1945 – 28 October 2022) was a British reporter, writer and editor. He edited the ''Independent on Sunday'', the literary magazine ''Granta'' and wrote regularly for ''The Guardian''.
Early life
Jack was born in Fa ...
, writing in The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
, stated that "any business with a sense of history would give the picture to a public gallery in Scotland, the place without which both the business and the picture would be nothing. It would be a decent thing.
In July 2017, Diageo was accused of using its huge influence over Irish publicans to pressure some based in Cork city
Cork ( , from , meaning 'marsh') is the second largest city in Ireland and third largest city by population on the island of Ireland. It is located in the south-west of Ireland, in the province of Munster. Following an extension to the city' ...
into swapping craft beer taps offering Irish-produced craft beer for Diageo beer brands, after several such pubs all did so over the course of one weekend. Diageo denied the accusation.
References
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{{Authority control
British companies established in 1997
Food and drink companies established in 1997
Multinational food companies
Companies listed on the London Stock Exchange
Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange
Multinational companies headquartered in the United Kingdom