Bottles of Beam Inc.’s Jim Beam bourbon whiskey, center, are displayed for sale at a liquor store.
Uriko Nakao | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The maker of Jim Beam said some price-sensitive whiskey and tequila drinkers are opting for cheaper bottles, making it the latest company to note diverging behaviors among lower- and higher-income customers.
Beam Suntory CEO Albert Baladi told CNBC that the spirits company is starting to see “a little bit of tempering” of the super premium and ultra-super premium categories.
Still, the company said its financial results weren’t dented much by the shift in behavior, since many consumers are still grabbing high-end tequila and other spirits. In recent years, Beam Suntory has shifted its portfolio toward more expensive spirits, upgrading to brands like Knob Creek bourbon and Bowmore Scotch whisky.
It’s the latest company to report signs of a split among…
