C&C is unlikely to make a play for Scottish whisky maker Glenmorangie which has come on the market with a stg£220m plus (€330m) price tag.

Bacardi has agreed to purchase Grey Goose vodka from Sidney Frank Importing for about £1bn (€1.5bn), adding another well-known brand of alcohol to its menu, which includes Dewar’s scotch and Bombay Sapphire gin.

Drinks giant Allied Domecq has held secret merger talks with privately-owned rum distiller Bacardi about a deal which would value the combined group at around £10bn, according to reports today.