Rising Asian sales and a strong U.S. dollar have helped return Pernod Ricard to growth, after a slack period the French spirits maker says it expects will come to a gradual end. The maker of Absolut vodka and Jameson Irish whiskey posted sales of 1.9 billion euros for the January through March period, with a total so far for the year of 6.5 billion euros , up 2 percent from the same nine-month period last year.