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Osaka, Japan-based Suntory Holdings Ltd. and Deerfield, Ill.-based Beam Inc. jointly announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Suntory will acquire all outstanding shares of Beam for $83.50 a share. This translates to a total consideration of approximately $16 billion, including the assumption of Beam’s outstanding net debt. The transaction consideration represents a 25 percent premium to Beam’s closing price of $66.97 on Jan. 10, 2014; a 24 percent premium to the volume-weighted average share price during the last three months; and a multiple of more than 20 times Beam’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization for the 12-month period that ended Sept. 30, 2013.

Chicken Cock Distillers, a Charleston, S.C.-based division of wine and spirits brand developer Island Club Brands, unveiled its Chicken Cock Whiskey brand as the sponsor of professional bull rider (PBR) Reese Cates at the 2014 PBR Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) season opener.

Deerfield, Ill.-based Beam Inc.’s Sauza Tequila brand partnered with actor and pop music artist Justin Timberlake to launch Sauza 901 super-premium tequila. The new product builds off of Timberlake’s previously launched 901 Silver Tequila and incorporates the same spirit under the Sauza brand name. The co-branded partnership blends the creativity and personality of the 901 brand’s founder, Timberlake, with the quality and history of Sauza Tequila to craft a lifestyle spirits brand.

Norwalk, Conn.-based Diageo will expand its relationship with rap artist and entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs to acquire the luxury tequila brand DeLeon.

Seattle-based Starbucks Coffee Co. added lattes to its Via portfolio so that consumers can brew their favorite Starbucks lattes at home. The Starbucks Via line now includes Vanilla Latte and Caffè Mocha varieties, which were inspired by the popular handcrafted Starbucks beverages served on-premise.

The TBS comedy “Cougar Town,” starring Courteney Cox, is preparing to make its return to TV on Jan. 7 at 10 p.m. Eastern time by promoting its characters’ drink of choice: wine.

Atlanta-based The Coca-Cola Co.’s Minute Maid brand welcomed two new flavors to its Juices To Go product line: Tropical Blend and Berry Blend. The new blends are the first Minute Maid Juices To Go products to contain both vegetable and fruit juices. Both varieties are available in 15.2-ounce single-serve bottles for on-the-go consumption.

Heineken USA Inc., a White Plains, N.Y.-based subsidiary of Heineken International BV, launched a new global responsibility campaign designed to make moderate alcohol consumption aspirational.

Bud Light, the official beer sponsor of the NFL, announced its concert lineup for the four-day weekend during Super Bowl 2014 at the Bud Light Hotel. The lineup includes headline performances by musical artists the Foo Fighters and Imagine Dragons as well as a tribute to New York City’s hip-hop history curated by The Roots. Last month, the brand of St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch announced that the Bud Light Hotel will take place on a brand-new cruise ship docked in the Hudson River in New York.

Martinson, a brand of Fort Worth, Texas-based Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee, announced the North American release of its Joe's Cup O'Cocoa Hot Cocoa Mix in RealCup single-serve capsules for foodservice and office coffee service customers.