Smirnoff’s owner, the drinks giant Diageo, is reportedly eyeing a slice of the US-based whiskey producer Beam. Diageo, which also owns Guinness and Baileys, has held talks with the Japanese brewer Suntory about striking a $10bn (£6.2bn) deal to acquire some of Beam’s brands. Diageo, which trades in 180 markets worldwide, is not believed to have