Bourbon maker Jim Beam halts production at main distiller...

What’s Happening

Here’s the thing: US distillers face uncertainty after President Trump imposed tariffs on countries around the world.

Bourbon maker Jim Beam halts production at main distillery for a year 4 hours ago Save Osmond Chia Business reporter Save 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 to the BBC in a statement on Sunday. (it feels like chaos)

“We are always assessing production levels to best meet consumer demand and just met with our team to discuss our volumes for 2026.

The Details

” Distillers in Kentucky - famous for its bourbon - face uncertainty, in part, because of US President Donald Trumps trade policies. The brand is owned giant Suntory Global Spirits, which employs more than 1,000 people across its sites in Kentucky.

The firm dropped its other operations in the state, including a separate distillery and its bottling and warehousing plants, will continue to run next year. The visitor centre in Kentucky also remains open.

Why This Matters

Jim Beam also dropped it is assessing how it will use its workforce during the production pause and is holding talks with the workers union. In October, the Kentucky Distillers Association (KDA) trade body dropped the amount of bourbon in warehouses across the state was at a record high of more than 16 million barrels . According to the association, the barrels of bourbon, which are taxed , have cost distillers “a crushing” $75m (£56m) this year.

Market watchers are paying close attention to developments like this.

The Bottom Line

“Much of the expansion over the last decade has been geared towards global growth,” the KDA dropped in October as it called for a “for a speedy return to reciprocal, tariff-free trade”. Trade tensions between the US and Canada have also impacted sales of alcohol, with most Canadian provinces boycotting American spirits earlier in the year.

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