Beam Toasts Eight Generations Of Family Heritage This Father's Day

CLERMONT, Ky., June 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Like father, like son.

The story of Jim Beam® Bourbon is as much a story about fathers and sons, as it is about whiskey. For more than 200 years, the Beams have been passing on secrets and stories from generation to generation, creating a rich family legacy for the world's No.1-selling bourbon.

"I learned pretty much everything I know from my dad," said Frederick "Fred" Booker Noe III, 7^th generation and master distiller of Jim Beam. "He taught me the family secrets about making our bourbon, shared stories about the family, things he learned from his uncle T. Jeremiah Beam. He also taught me the importance of honesty, and being straight up with people."

In his colorful memoir, Beam, Straight Up, Noe reflects on his relationship with his father, Booker Noe, sharing never-before-told stories about the legendary distiller.

"He was larger than life and not always the easiest man to please. But, he made me who I am today."

One part autobiography, one part bourbon primer, Beam Straight Up, is Noe's entertaining yet sincere account of life growing up in the "first family of bourbon." In addition to chronicling his decision to follow in his father's large footsteps, and his sometimes arduous path to becoming a master distiller of bourbon, Noe also recounts stories about his famous ancestors, including his great-grandfather, Jim Beam.

"Bourbon is in all of our blood," added Noe. "Fathers to sons, for eight generations, it's been who we are and what we do."

For 218 years, the family's dedication to consistent quality has made Jim Beam the best-selling Bourbon in the world and an American icon recognized around the globe. Today, Noe plays an integral role in the craftsmanship that goes into every bottle and mentors his son, Frederick Booker Noe IV as he continues the Beam family legacy, working at Beam's Booker Noe plant in Boston, Ky.

"I'm trying to pass on what I know, and what I've learned to my son," said Noe. "We have a special heritage, and we're making sure that we preserve it."

A perfect Father's Day gift, Beam, Straight Up, is available at the Jim Beam American Stillhouse online, Amazon.com or major booksellers nationwide. To find Noe on Facebook, visit www.facebook.com/jimbeam.

About Beam Inc.
As one of the world's leading premium spirits companies, Beam is Crafting the Spirits that Stir the World.  Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company's brands, including Jim Beam Bourbon, Maker's Mark Bourbon, Sauza Tequila, Pinnacle Vodka, Canadian Club Whisky, Courvoisier Cognac, Teacher's Scotch Whisky, Skinnygirl Cocktails, Cruzan Rum, Hornitos Tequila, Knob Creek Bourbon, Laphroaig Scotch Whisky, Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey, Larios Gin, Whisky DYC and DeKuyper Cordials.  Beam is focused on delivering superior performance with its unique combination of scale with agility and a strategy of Creating Famous Brands, Building Winning Markets and Fueling Our Growth. Beam and its 3,400 passionate associates worldwide generated 2012 sales of $2.5 billion (excluding excise taxes), volume of 38 million 9-liter equivalent cases and some of the industry's fastest growing innovations. 

Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, Beam is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BEAM and is included in the S&P 500 Index and the MSCI World Index.  For more information on Beam, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamglobal.com and www.drinksmart.com.

SOURCE Beam Inc.