Diageo

Diageo plc is a large British company that makes and sells alcoholic drinks. It is based in London, England, and works in 132 places across nearly 180 countries. Some of its most famous brands include Guinness, Johnnie Walker, and Smirnoff.

The company is very important for making Scotch whisky, running distilleries that produce 40% of all Scotch whisky in the world. It also sells many other kinds of spirits.

Diageo is a public company, which means its shares are bought and sold on big stock markets. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange, where it is part of the FTSE 100 Index, and also on the New York Stock Exchange as American depositary receipts.

History

Diageo was formed in 1997 by combining two companies: Guinness plc and Grand Metropolitan plc. Shares in Diageo began trading on the London Stock Exchange on 17 December 1997. The name Diageo comes from a Latin word meaning "day" and a Greek root meaning "earth".

After forming, Diageo sold some of its non-drink businesses to focus on making alcoholic drinks. This included selling a food company and a fast-food restaurant chain. Diageo also bought many drink brands from different countries, such as a Canadian liquor company and a Brazilian spirit maker.

In 2009, Diageo closed a plant in Scotland, which made many people unhappy. In later years, Diageo sold some of its beer and wine brands and bought new ones, including a non-alcoholic spirits brand in 2024. In 2025, there was news about Diageo closing a whisky bottling plant in Canada, which caused some protests.

Operations

Diageo runs many whisky distilleries in Scotland and around the world. Besides its own brands, Diageo also owns a part of the Moet Hennessy drinks division of the French luxury goods company LVMH. Diageo operates in Europe, North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia–Pacific, and Africa.

As of January 2026, the company's leadership includes Chairman John Manzoni and Chief Executive Officer Sir Dave Lewis.

The company has moved its head office several times. It started in Henrietta Place in the Marylebone district of the City of Westminster in London. In 2009, it moved to Park Royal in the London Borough of Brent. In 2022, Diageo moved again to Great Marlborough Street in London.

Diageo owns many whisky distilleries, including several in Scotland for making Scotch whisky. It also has distilleries for Irish, American, and Canadian whiskey.

Brands

Diageo has many different drinks under its name. Some of the popular ones include:

• Scotch whisky: This includes many single malt brands like Talisker and blended brands like Johnnie Walker.
• Beer: Famous brands include Guinness and Smithwick's.
• Vodka: Well-known brands are Smirnoff and Ketel One.
• Other drinks: They also make gin, like Tanqueray, and rum, like Captain Morgan.

Business

Diageo, a big company that makes drinks, has won some awards and made partnerships. In June 2023, one of its factories in Scotland won a prize for making great whisky. In May 2025, Diageo agreed to support a big soccer event in North, Central, and South America. Also, one of its famous drinks became the official beer for a top soccer league in 2024.

Diageo cares about people drinking safely. It has a website with tips about drinking. The company has also been recognized for treating everyone fairly and doing good things for the world. It wants to teach many people about drinking responsibly, including young people, so they understand the risks of drinking too much or before they are old enough.