Posted on 12/22/2025 5:19:29 AM PST by Twotone
The maker of the popular Jim Beam bourbon whiskey says it will halt production at its main site in Kentucky for all of next year.
The distillery will stay closed while the firm takes "the opportunity to invest in site enhancements," it told the BBC in a statement on Sunday.
"We are always assessing production levels to best meet consumer demand and recently met with our team to discuss our volumes for 2026."
Distillers in Kentucky - famous for its bourbon - face uncertainty, in part, due to US President Donald Trump's trade policies.
The brand is owned by Japanese drinks giant Suntory Global Spirits, which employs more than 1,000 people across its sites in Kentucky.
The firm said its other operations in the state, including a separate distillery and its bottling and warehousing plants, would continue to run next year. The visitor centre in Kentucky also remains open.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
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due to US President Donald Trump’s trade policies.“
BBC.
“Thousands of livers saved”
Doubt it......Beam ain’t the only fish in the pond by a long way and not that I drink bourbon or any liquor anymore but when I did I preferred Makers Mark.
Who cares if they shut down for a year?
Exactly....the whole story was written just to make that one statement.
and they make that unsubstantiated claim after sourcing the companies reason of “the opportunity to invest in site enhancements.”
Actually, it is due to his “trade tariffs”.
Now might be a good time to buy, Brown-Forman has a decent yield and it’s down heavily since the tariffs kicked it.
https://www.morningstar.com/stocks/this-oversold-stock-is-25-undervalued-is-it-time-buy
https://www.fooddive.com/news/brown-forman-canada-sales/807565/
Will any regular customers notice a difference if they get a bottle from the other distillery?
The brand is owned by Japanese drinks giant Suntory Global Spirits,
https://www.suntoryglobalspirits.com/
Beams the oldest distillery in America.
If they make the Whiskey in the USA then aren’t they supposed to be exempt from tariffs?
Trump said if a foreign company makes their products in the USA, there wouldn’t be any tariffs placed on those goods.
In October, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA) trade body said the amount of bourbon in warehouses across the state was at a record high of more than 16 million barrels.
Chevron is a brand as well.
That Japanese whiskey is no joke.
I remember going into a bar getting a hot towel and a hot Saki and ordering a meesoo-wati (whisky-water) .
Production of aged products is always fascinating, how do they project demand? Interesting business problem.
According to the association, the barrels of bourbon, which are taxed by the state, have cost distillers “a crushing” $75m (£56m) this year.
How is it taxed? barrel produced or stored (property tax)
These younger people don’t drink hard liquor like their parents and grandparents did. They prefer sugary fizzy drinks with a little alcohol ...................
“Beams the oldest distillery in America.”
And the brand is owned by the Japanese......kinda takes the shine off wouldn’t you say?
“If they make the Whiskey in the USA then aren’t they supposed to be exempt from tariffs?”
It’s the retaliatory tariffs imposed by other countries that are hurting Beam’s overseas sales.
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