This company profile of Diageo reveals the unethical practices of the world’s largest liquor producer. It provides examples of harmful methods across the categories of political interference, promotion, sabotage, manipulation, and deception – the Dubious Five strategies.

Introduction

Diageo Plc is one of the biggest alcohol beverage producers in the world originating in the United Kingdom, with its headquarters in London, England.

Currently, the liquor giant has a collection of over 200 local and global spirits and beer brands across 180 countries in the world. The most prominent brands include Johnnie Walker, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness. The company is the world’s biggest Scotch whiskey producer.

Debra Ann Crew is the president and CEO of Diageo. She is also a board member of Mondelez International, and the former president and chief executive officer of Big Tobacco giant R. J. Reynolds. She has a track record of working for the interest of health harmful industries, having held senior management positions at PepsiCo, Mars, Incorporated, and Dreyer’s.

Fast Facts about Diageo in 2022

Total revenue: 17,113 million GBP (2022/23)
Alcohol volume sold: Equivalent Units 243 million (2022/23)
Lobbying costs (US): 2,710,000 USD (2021)
Lobbying costs (EU): 700,000 – 799,999 € (2022)
Operating profit: 4,632 million GBP (2022/23)
Global market share (distilled spirits): 52.5% (Q2, 2023)
Marketing spends: 2,721 million GBP (2022)

Brands

Scotch Whisky

  • Johnnie Walker
  • Lagavulin
  • Talisker
  • The Singleton
  • Mortlach

Liqueurs

  • Baileys
  • Pimm’s
  • Sheridan’s

Rum

  • Captain Morgan
  • Cacique
  • Bundaberg
  • Zacapa

Vodka

  • Smirnoff
  • Ciroc Vodka
  • Ketel One

Other Whiskey

  • Crown Royal
  • Bulleit
  • Roe&Co
  • Seagram’s7

Beers

  • Guiness
  • Hop House Lager
  • Kilkenny
  • Tusker Lager

Gin

  • Tanqueray
  • Gordons
  • Aviation

No/Low Alcohol

  • Seedlip
  • Guiness Draught 0.0
  • Gordon’s Alcoholfree
  • Tanqueray 0.0
  • Captain Morgan Spiced Gold 0.0

Tequila

  • Don Julio
  • Casamigos
  • Astral
  • Deleon
  • 21 Seeds

Diageo involvement in front groups

Interfering in policy and scienceDiageo front groups are designed to advance long-term public relations goals to interfere in both policy and science.  Source

Unethical practices by Diageo

Misconduct Report Nov 24 '25 Political interference
Alcohol Industry Uses Inflated Job Claims and Fake Civil Society to Derail Nigeria’s Sachet Ban

Nigeria’s move to phase out sachet and small-bottle alcohol – formats designed for ultra-availability, low price and youth appeal – ...
Misconduct Report Oct 6 '25 Deception, Political interference
Diageo Exploits Youth Employment Crisis to Rebrand Itself as a “Development Partner” in South Africa

When South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, appeared alongside Diageo South Africa, ...
Misconduct Report Aug 28 '25 Deception
Big Alcohol’s Cancer Denial – Diageo and other global alcohol giants bank on creating confusion

Big Alcohol thrives on confusion. Diageo, AB InBev, Heineken, Pernod Ricard, and Campari all know their products cause cancer – and that ...
Misconduct Report Aug 26 '25 Political interference
Industry-Sponsored “Reform” Would Make Alcohol Cheaper in Mexico

The wine and spirits industry is quietly steering Mexico’s alcohol tax debate – and it’s doing so under the guise of policy ...
Misconduct Report Aug 21 '25 Political interference
Big Alcohol Captures Health Policy in New Zealand – Internal Files Show Corporate Access, Pressure, and Policy Dilution

Leaked documents reveal New Zealand’s health ministry giving alcohol lobbyists – including Diageo, Bacardi and Brown-Forman – a ...
Misconduct Report Aug 20 '25 Political interference
EABL and Allies Resist Advance Excise Duty, Undermining Fair Taxation in Kenya

The Alcoholic Beverages Association of Kenya (ABAK), which represents the country’s largest alcohol producers – including East African ...