The 1988 acquisition of Irish Distillers Ltd (IDL) by Pernod Ricard is the great drinks industry acquisition that almost never happened. As the story goes, the French company – then a fraction of the size of today’s colossus – originally only wanted a small slice of the Irish whiskey pie.
Heineken re-ignites big-ticket M&A with logical move in Central America
The brewing giant will have its hands full but, for its first big M&A deal for four years, it looks sensible.
Dean Best October 02 2025


