SEATTLE, Wash., (April 8, 2004) - Starbucks Coffee Company (Nasdaq: SBUX) and Jim Beam Brands Co., a unit of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE: FO), today announced a development and distribution agreement to develop, manufacture and market a Starbucks-branded premium coffee liqueur product in the U.S. The product will be tested in two U.S. markets later this year.

The premium coffee liqueur product will be available for sale at licensed establishments, such as restaurants, bars, and retail outlets where premium distilled spirits are sold. The product will not be sold in Starbucks retail stores.

"Extending the Starbucks brand into new channels is part of our long-term growth strategy," said Orin Smith, Starbucks president and CEO. "Many of our customers already enjoy coffee liqueur and would consider a Starbucks-branded coffee liqueur to be best-of-class."

"Fortune Brands' Jim Beam Brands Co. is an excellent partner for Starbucks," continued Smith. "They are the industry leader in cordials and liqueurs as well as in new product innovation. Jim Beam is also one of the most proactive spirits companies in the area of corporate social responsibility which is a critical element for any Starbucks affiliation."

Developing and manufacturing products with Starbucks coffee as an ingredient is not new for Starbucks. In 1995, the company formed an alliance with Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream to introduce Starbucks® Ice Cream. Within months, Starbucks Coffee Ice Cream became the No. one selling coffee ice cream in the United States. In 1996, Starbucks, through a partnership with Pepsi-Cola Company, introduced bottled Starbucks Frappuccino® coffee drink. Today, Starbucks bottled Frappuccino and DoubleShot™ coffee drinks have nearly a 90 percent share of the U.S. ready-to-drink coffee market.

"Fortune Brands is strategically committed to positioning our businesses for even stronger growth and higher returns, so we see exciting potential in working with Starbucks, one of the most recognized and respected brands in the world," said Norm Wesley, chairman & CEO of Fortune Brands.

"The trust and confidence that consumers have in the Starbucks brand combined with our industry leading innovation, flavor expertise, powerful distribution and experience developing and growing superpremium products is a recipe for success," added Tom Flocco, president and CEO of Jim Beam Brands Co.

Jim Beam Brands Co. has a proven track record for developing and marketing premium products and forming winning partnerships. Reflecting its commitment to innovation, the Company created the small batch bourbon category, led by fast-growing Knob Creek®, the world's No. 1 ultra-premium bourbon; revolutionized the cordial category with the introduction of the fast-growing DeKuyper® Pucker® line of schnapps; successfully extended the Jim Beam brand with the introduction of fast-growing super-premium Jim Beam® Black; and introduced successful products in 2003 like Vox® Raspberry Flavored Vodka and DeKuyper® Pucker® Island Blue Schnapps, one of the top-selling new spirits of the year. Through innovative joint ventures, including its Future Brands distribution alliance with The Absolut Spirits Company, Jim Beam Brands has established itself as a partner of choice for leading global brands.

The premium coffee liqueur will be distributed by Future Brands LLC, which drives the second highest case volume in America.

About Starbucks

Starbucks Corporation is the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world, with more than 7,500 retail locations in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific Rim. The Company is committed to offering the highest quality coffee and the Starbucks Experience while conducting its business in ways that produce social, environmental and economic benefits for communities in which it does business. In addition to its retail operations, the Company produces and sells bottled Frappuccino® coffee drinks, Starbucks DoubleShot™ coffee drink, and a line of superpremium ice creams through its joint venture partnerships. The Company's brand portfolio provides a wide variety of consumer products. Tazo Tea's line of innovative premium teas and Hear Music's exceptional compact discs enhance the Starbucks Experience through best-of-class products. The Seattle's Best Coffee® and Torrefazione Italia® Coffee brands enable Starbucks to appeal to a broader consumer base by offering an alternative variety of coffee flavor profiles.

About Fortune Brands and Jim Beam Brands Co.

Fortune Brands, Inc. is a $6 billion leading consumer brands company. It has premier brands and leading market positions in home and hardware products, spirits, golf equipment and office products. The company's Jim Beam Brands Worldwide, Inc. unit is the largest U.S.-based spirits & wine business and has leadership positions in bourbon, with Jim Beam® and Jim Beam Black®, the number one selling bourbon worldwide; Knob Creek® bourbon and The Small Batch Bourbon Collection®; and cordials, with DeKuyper®, the number one cordial line in the United States. A joint venture between Jim Beam Brands Co. and The Absolut Spirits Company Incorporated, Future Brands LLC, provides sales and distribution services in the United States for the company's spirits brands. Fortune Brands, headquartered in Lincolnshire, Illinois, is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol FO and is included in the S&P 500 index.