FEATURING THE FIRST-EVER POMEGRANATE SCHNAPPS, NEW HOLIDAY COCKTAIL IS A SOPHISTICATED BLEND OF POMEGRANATE, PEPPERMINT AND VODKA

NEW YORK, November 2006 – End-of-the-year holiday parties and celebrations offer delightful ways to reconnect with family and friends, as today’s hosts and hostesses turn towards themed cocktails and parties to make celebrations both memorable and unique. In support of this trend, Hiram Walker, the leading producer of premium-quality schnapps, brandies and other bar essentials, is celebrating the 2006 holiday season with the introduction of a signature cocktail, the Hiram Walker Candy Cane. A sophisticated blend of the newly introduced Hiram Walker Pomegranate Schnapps – the world’s first – along with classic Hiram Walker Peppermint Schnapps and Stolichnaya Vodka garnished with a miniature candy cane, the Hiram Walker Candy Cane is the perfect accent for holiday gatherings.

Hiram Walker Candy Cane 1 ½ part Hiram Walker Pomegranate Schnapps 1 ½ part Hiram Walker Peppermint Schnapps 1 part Stolichnaya™ Vodka ¼ part simple syrup Shake vigorously over ice Strain into a chilled Martini glass Garnish with a mini candy cane or mint leaf Serve icy cold

“Hiram Walker is known for anticipating taste trends and translating those trends into enjoyable cocktails and products that our customers have come to expect. Without a doubt, the slightly tart, slightly sweet flavor of the pomegranate is one of the most sought-after tastes today,” says Ron Zussman, Brand Director for Hiram Walker. “We are pleased to offer this new cocktail that combines the natural flavors of pomegranate and peppermint with the smoothness of premium vodka as the perfect accent to holiday gatherings and celebrations this season.”

About Hiram Walker Liqueurs
Introduced in 1856, Hiram Walker Liqueurs pioneered numerous distillation and manufacturing processes that are now industry standards. For example, Hiram Walker was one of the first product lines to begin placing labels on its bottles. Hiram Walkers' schnapps, brandy and bar essential lines now sport a new, contemporary look, including actual photography on the labels to highlight the all-natural flavors used to create the liqueurs. Hiram Walker is one of a very few manufacturers to utilize only all-natural flavors in its entire liqueurs line-up. The Hiram Walker logo has also been refreshed to reflect Hiram Walker's rich history and sophisticated style. Finally, the bottle has been redesigned with ridges on the collar, allowing for a better grip and easier pouring. The line of Hiram Walker products consists of 36 schnapps flavors, brandies and cocktail ingredients. Hiram Walker schnapps include Sour Apple, Peppermint, Peach, Butterscotch and newly introduced Pomegranate, Tangerine and Mango. Hiram Walker's Peppermint Schnapps is the category leader, owning about 30 percent of the peppermint schnapps category. Its brandies include Coffee, Apricot and Blackberry, which owns 21 percent of the blackberry brandy category. Blue Curacao, Creme de Menthe, Creme de Cacao, Amaretto and Triple Sec round-out the bar essentials line. Hiram Walker's Triple Sec is responsible for roughly 20 percent of total triple sec category sales.