The alcohol company Beam (NYSE: BEAM) said that they would be buying Pinnacle vodka and Calico Jack rum brands for a total of $605 million to try to gain leverage in the growing vodka category. Beam, which includes Jim Beam and Maker's Mark bourbons, said that their deal with White Rock Distilleries would not affect their existing brands' production, according to CNBC.

Pinnacle is known for their variety of flavored vodkas, including dessert flavors like whipped cream and pineapple, and Beam says that they are expecting to sell over 3 million cases this year. They see opportunities to save 20% of the brands' net sales.

Flavor-infused alcohols have gained tremendous popularity in the past few years with younger bar crowds, and have begun approaching or even overtaking beer in popularity in some areas. Flavors such as mint, honey, Skittles, raspberry, and even bacon infused into different alcohols like vodka, rum, and whiskey spark the curiosity of bar and club patrons that are searching for an easier way of getting their buzz.

Kapitall reported last month that Molson Coors Brewing (NYSE: TAP) is launching an iced-tea flavored beer, which draws on the ideas of the flavored liquor companies to make their drink stand out in flavor. Their hope is to take some of the mixed-drink and Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD) market share.

Business section: Investing ideas
As popular, cheap, and easily attainable as beer is, the flavored alcohol category is gaining traction and popularity. Below is a list of alcoholic beverage companies that could be affected by the shift in trends. How do you think these companies will change and react? (Click here to access free, interactive tools to analyze these ideas.)

1. Fomento Econ: Engages in non-alcoholic beverage, retail, and beer industries. The company has a market cap of $147.17 billion, and a most recent closing price at $80.95.

2. Companhia de Bebidas Das Americas (NYSE: ABV): Engages in the production, distribution, and sale of beer, draft beer, carbonated soft drinks, malt, and other non-alcoholic and non-carbonated products in the Americas. The company has a market cap of $137.76 billion, and a most recent closing price at $42.92.

3. Anheuser-Busch InBev: Engages in brewing and selling beer in North America, Latin America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company has a market cap of $116.89 billion, and a most recent closing price at $71.56.

4. Diageo (NYSE: DEO) : Engages in producing, distilling, brewing, bottling, packaging, distributing, developing, and marketing spirits, beer, and wine products. The company has a market cap of $63.76 billion, and a most recent closing price at $99.97.

5. Brown-Forman: Engages in manufacturing, bottling, importing, exporting, and marketing alcoholic beverages. The company has a market cap of $12.07 billion, and a most recent closing price at $84.0.

6. Beam: Produces and sells branded distilled spirits products worldwide. The company has a market cap of $8.97 billion, and a most recent closing price at $56.16.

7. Molson Coors Brewing: Distributes beer brands. The company has a market cap of $7.46 billion, and a most recent closing price at $41.04.

8. Compania Cervecerias Unidas: Produces, bottles, sells, and distributes beverages in Chile and Argentina. The company has a market cap of $4.63 billion, and a most recent closing price at $72.26.

9. Constellation Brands: Produces and markets alcoholic beverages primarily in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. The company has a market cap of $4.24 billion, and a most recent closing price at $21.05.

10. Vina Concha y Toro: Produces and markets wine products. The company has a market cap of $1.6 billion, and a most recent closing price at $42.10.

Interactive Chart: Press Play to compare changes in analyst ratings over the last two years for the stocks mentioned above. Analyst ratings sourced from Zacks Investment Research.