American spirits giant Beam Inc has hired five Irish graduates to promote its Irish whiskey brands in the US market.

IRELAND’S last remaining independent whiskey producer, the Cooley Distillery, has been acquired by US spirits giant Beam Inc — the producer of the Jim Beam bourbon brand — for nearly €73 million.

Drinks giant Allied Domecq is to be taken over by the French owner of Chivas Regal whisky and Jacob’s Creek wines for £7.4bn (€10.8bn), it was announced today.