Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
OMB APPROVAL
OMB Number: 3235-0287
Expires: January 31, 2005
Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5

(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
OMTVEDT CRAIG P
   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
FORTUNE BRANDS INC [FO] 		5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
Sr. VP and CFO
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
300 TOWER PARKWAY		 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
01/25/2005
(Street)

LINCOLNSHIRE, IL 60069		 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock, Par Value $3.125 01/25/2005   A(1)   24,750 A $ 81.72 70,085 D  
Common Stock, Par Value $3.125 01/25/2005   F(2)   8,541 D $ 81.72 61,544 D  
Common Stock, Par Value $3.125 01/25/2005   D(3)   16,209 D $ 81.72 45,335 D  
Common Stock, Par Value $3.125               2,503 (4) I By Fortune Brands, Inc. Retirement Savings Plan Trust.

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number. SEC 1474 (9-02)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)		 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)		 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)		 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
OMTVEDT CRAIG P
300 TOWER PARKWAY
LINCOLNSHIRE, IL 60069		       Sr. VP and CFO  

Signatures

 Russell W. Hahn, Attorney-in-Fact for Craig P. Omtvedt   01/27/2005
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Reflects the grant of a performance award tot he undersigned under the issuer's Long-Term Incentive Plans in a transaction exempt under Rule 16b-3(d).
(2) Reflects the withholding by the issuer of shares awarded to the undersigned having a fair market value equal to the withholding taxes payable by the undersigned at the time the award vested, such transaction being exempt under Rule 16b-3(e).
(3) Under the terms of the issuer's Long-Term Incentive Plans, the undersigned elected to receive his award in cash, and for reporting purposes is deemed to have transferred back to the issuer shares of the issuer's common stock in a transaction exempt under Rule 16-b3(e).
(4) The number of shares reported as held by the Fortune Brands, Inc. Retirement Savings Plan Trust represents the undersigned's proportional beneficial interest in the common stock held in the Trust as of January 25, 2005.
 
Remarks:
Mr. Omtvedt earned a performance award equivalent to 24,750 shares of the issuer's common stock for the performance period 2002-2004, pursuant to the terms of the issuer's

Long-Term Incentive Plans.  Payment of the performance award was approved on January 25, 2005.  The issuer withheld 8,541 of these shares in payment of withholding taxes due as a

result of the award.  Having significantly exceeded the Company's guidelines for executive stock ownership, Mr. Omtvedt elected to receive the remainder of the award 

(equivalent to the value of 16,209 shares) in cash. These transactions did not change Mr. Omtvedt's ownership of Company stock. Mr. Omtvedt continues to directly own 45,335 shares

of the issuer's common stock and options to purchase 313,690 shares of common stock.  Mr. Omtvedt also holds 2,503 shares through his participation in the Fortune Brands Retirement Savings Plan.

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.

Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB number.