Inside these posts: Spirits

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Fortune acquires reality star’s Skinnygirl cocktails

Bethenny Frankel. (Skinnygirl)

Fortune Brands Inc., seeking to capitalize on the emerging market of low-calorie cocktails, has acquired the Skinnygirl brand created by reality-television star Bethenny Frankel.

Fortune’s Beam Global Spirits & Wine Inc. unit aims to build on the rapid growth of Skinnygirl Margarita — a bottled cocktail that boasts 100 calories per four-ounce serving — by expanding its distribution and introducing other drinks under the label. Get the full story »

Americans back to drinking the good stuff

U.S. consumers started drinking more higher-end spirits last year, leading the industry to see signs of a fragile recovery.

Liquor companies sold 190.7 million nine-liter cases in the United States in 2010, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States trade group. That was up 2 percent from 2009, when a recession crimped consumers’ drinking habits. Get the full story »