Jack Daniels takes over Herradura

Following the trend of large foreign-owner liquor companies moving into Mexico's tequila industry, Brown-Forman, the maker of Jack Daniel's Tennessee whisky, swallowed up Casa Herradura, the country's second- or third-largest tequila distiller. (Sauza and Herradura are roughly equal in size.) Herradura, based in Amatitan, Jalisco, makes and sells tequila under the Herradura and El Jimador brands along with New Mix tequila coolers. The Tequila Express, a booze-cruise on rails, runs most Saturdays from Guadalajara to the Herradura factory in Amatitan, which neighbors the municipality of Tequila.

Brown-Forman paid US $876 million for Herradura, which means horseshoe in Spanish and was founded 136 years ago. Rum distiller Baccardi previously scooped up Arandas-based Cazadores and industry leader Jose Cuervo is part owned by Diageo.