Fortune Brands Inc

               Fortune Brands Declares Regular Dividend

Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE:FO), a leading consumer brands company, today
declared a regular dividend of 30(cents) per share on the Common Stock, payable
in cash on March 1, 2004, to stockholders of record at the close of business
February 11, 2004.

The company also declared a regular dividend of 66.75(cents) per share on the
$2.67 Convertible Preferred Stock, payable in cash on March 10, 2004, to
stockholders of record at the close of business February 11, 2004.

Fortune Brands, Inc. is a $6 billion leading consumer brands company. Its
operating companies have premier brands and leading market positions in home and
hardware products, spirits and wine, golf equipment and office products. Home
and hardware brands include Moen faucets, Aristokraft, Schrock, Diamond and
Omega cabinets, Therma-Tru door systems, Master Lock padlocks and Waterloo tool
storage sold by units of Fortune Brands Home & Hardware, Inc. Major spirits and
wine brands sold by units of Jim Beam Brands Worldwide, Inc. include Jim Beam
and Knob Creek bourbons, DeKuyper cordials, The Dalmore single malt Scotch, Vox
vodka and Geyser Peak and Wild Horse wines. Acushnet Company's golf brands
include Titleist, Cobra and FootJoy. Office brands include Swingline, Wilson
Jones, Kensington and Day-Timer sold by units of ACCO World Corporation. Fortune
Brands, headquartered in Lincolnshire, Illinois, is traded on the New York Stock
Exchange under the ticker symbol FO and is included in the S&P 500 Index.

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    CONTACT: Fortune Brands, Inc.
             Clarkson Hine (Media Relations), 847-484-4415          
             or
             Tony Diaz (Investor Relations), 847-484-4410