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Jim Beam shuts down iconic Kentucky distillery for at least a year amid market downturn
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A whiskey sour for the distilled spirits industry.
Consumers are souring on drinking alcohol.
And that’s one of a host of complex reasons why Jim Beam is placing its main distillery in Clermont, Kentucky, on ice for at least a year.
Claudia Coffey knows Kentucky bourbon country as well as anyone. She’s a podcaster and bourbon insider.
TARIFFS PUSH US WINE INDUSTRY INTO UNCERTAIN TERRITORY: ‘REALLY CREATES A CHALLENGE’
«Bourbon is Kentucky, right? We love horse racing in Kentucky. We love bourbon in Kentucky. It’s the reason that 2.7 million people come to visit the Commonwealth every single year,» said Coffey. «It’s some of the biggest news to come out of Kentucky in quite some time, and this is one of the most iconic brands in bourbon.»
Not everyone has heard of Willett or Four Roses when it comes to bourbon. But Jim Beam is Americana. Ubiquitous. Kind of like McDonald’s or Coke.
Americans are imbibing less — down 6% from just two years ago. And more than 16 million barrels of Kentucky spirits — including bourbon and rye — are aging in warehouses across the state. Distillers are paying taxes on those barrels while they age.
It’s an issue of supply and demand. But the problem is not exclusive to Jim Beam.
«It’s not a question of who’s shutting down production,» said Charlie Prince, who runs the Drammers Whiskey Club. «It’s a question of who is admitting it.»
Barrels of bourbon are stacked in a barrel house at the Jim Beam Distillery Feb. 17, 2020 in Clermont, Ky. U.S. whiskey exports have fallen by 27% to the European Union, the product’s largest export market, caused by retaliatory tariffs imposed by the 27-nation alliance, a trade group said last week. (Bryan Woolston/Getty Images)
Overseas distillers like Midleton in Ireland, which makes Jameson, and Highland Park in Scotland all reduced production recently because of a glut of bourbon, whiskey and Scotch on the market.
However, observers say tariffs and the trade war with Canada hit Jim Beam especially hard.
«Ten percent of Kentucky bourbon sales were going to Canada, and that has dropped to almost zero,» said Prince. «In Canada, that has been taken on as a kind of a national mission for Canadians, saying, ‘Let’s buy Canadian’ and push back against the politics they don’t like coming from the U.S. And, so, you see stores just pulling all American products and banning them in some provinces. So, that’s definitely a political response.»
Democrats quickly latched onto the tariff argument.
«Thousands of Kentuckians power the bourbon industry. We will all feel the impact of this,» declared Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Ky. «It’s hard to overstate just how devastating Trump’s tariffs are for America’s signature spirit.»
RECORD LOW NUMBER OF AMERICANS REPORT DRINKING ALCOHOL, AND NEW TEETOTALERS ARE EXPLAINING WHY
But one industry observer believes that tariffs are a single ingredient in a complex economic cocktail. Jessica Spector is a professor at Yale who studies the history and culture of liquor and spirits.
«Anybody that tells you that they have an explanation, ‘Oh, it’s tariffs,’ or ‘Oh, it’s post-pandemic retraction,’ is giving you a too simplistic explanation,» said Spector. «It’s unclear what impact the tariffs are having and will have in the future. People have argued over tariffs for a long time. As long as there has been trade, there have been arguments over tariffs. It’s unclear whether the tariffs are sort of the coup de gras to an industry that was already suffering.»
Spector says yes, Generation Z drinks less and uses cannabis more. There are also health concerns. But the spirits industry has witnessed shifts before. She says people moved from brown liquor to vodka in the 1970s because it was seen as healthier.
«They also jogged more and did a lot more cocaine because that was seen as more health conscious. So, it gets really complicated when you break things down generationally,» said Spector.
But the tariffs remain extraordinarily controversial. The Trump administration says tariffs are here to stay.
Bottles of alcohol sit on shelves at a bar in Houston June 23, 2020. Moderate drinking was once thought to have benefits for the heart, but better research methods starting in the 2010s have thrown cold water on that. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
«Tariffs are going to be part of the policy landscape,» United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Fox. «We know they’re successful.»
But the tariffs may also evaporate.
The Constitution grants Congress the authority to tax and impose tariffs. President Trump used emergency powers to levy global tariffs earlier this year. That’s why this issue wound up at the Supreme Court. Attorneys argued the case in October.
«Canada is one of our closest allies. I think it would be hard to find Canada engaging in unfair trade practices because we have what used to be called the NAFTA agreement, between Canada, the United States and Mexico to bring down all the trade barriers between the countries,» said University of California law professor John Yoo.
Based on the oral arguments, Yoo believes the high court will halt the Trump-imposed tariffs under the premise that the U.S. faces a national emergency.
«Canada will immediately benefit, and you’ll be able to find your choice of American bourbons on Canadian store shelves,» said Yoo.
FREEDOM AND FACTS, NOT FEAR, SHOULD FRAME AMERICA’S CHOICES ON ALCOHOL
In fact, Yoo believes the Supreme Court could issue its ruling sooner rather than later — especially if it nixes the tariffs. That’s because of all the duties and fees that might be levied on products for months — and then reversed.
It’s important to note that Jim Beam will continue operating two other distilleries for the time being. And Spector says Generation Z prefers cocktails. So, that could force the industry to shift what it produces.
Now here’s a little tidbit you probably won’t learn any place else.
Roam any distillery in Scotland, be it Dalwhinnie in the Highlands, Glen Scotia in Campbeltown, GlenGrant in Speyside or Bowmore on Islay, and you will find distillers aging Scotch in Jim Beam barrels.
It’s not just Jim Beam barrels that you will find in Scotland. It’s also Buffalo Trace. Heaven Hill. Woodford Reserve. Wild Turkey. Congress only allows American distillers to use American oak barrels once for producing bourbon. So, Scotch distillers overseas love to get their hands on a good bourbon barrel to age their spirit.
The barrels may partially impart a vanilla flavor into the expression, stemming from «vanillans» in the wood.
The Jim Beam Distillery Feb. 17, 2020, in Clermont, Ky. (Bryan Woolston/Getty Images)
The trend of using American bourbon barrels for Scotch began in the 1940s after the U.S. market came back online following the end of Prohibition. Distillers in Scotland began using sherry barrels to age their spirits prior to that (hence, the rich meaty flavors you get from Macallan). Sherry is still prevalent despite a decline in people consuming sherry these days. But fewer bourbon barrels from a big producer like Jim Beam now could alter the taste of Scotch in about 15 to 20 years.
That said, demand for Scotch is down like bourbon. So, some of these may even out.
It’s worth noting that Suntory Global Spirits owns Jim Beam. It was known as Beam Suntory until recently. Suntory also owns major Scotch labels like Bowmore, Admore, Laphroaig, Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch. The pipeline of barrels from Jim Beam was a good proposition for Suntory to age Scotch.
So, it’s possible that, down the road, Scotch distillers may age some of their expressions in barrels that once contained something else — other than Kentucky bourbon. And that’s where the flavor profile will evolve.
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It’s also impossible to know the market trends and what people will be interested in drinking in 15 to 20 years. And, so, whatever distillers put into a barrel now might not match market trends in the future.
In fact, perhaps people will revert to drinking bourbon and Scotch. And the market glut now may switch into a spirits famine where products consumers want are hard to find.
beer,trade,canada,drinks,congress,lifestyle,health
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The National Guard will be removed from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, for now, following efforts to reduce crime in those Democratic-run cities, but it was «only a question of time» when troops will return, President Donald Trump said Wednesday after a series of legal setbacks.
«We are removing the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, despite the fact that CRIME has been greatly reduced by having these great Patriots in those cities, and ONLY by that fact,» Trump wrote on Truth Social. «Portland, Los Angeles, and Chicago were GONE if it weren’t for the Federal Government stepping in.»
The National Guard was deployed to the cities in an effort to curb crime, which Trump said had gotten out of control in those cities.
DEMOCRATS TRY TO FLIP THE SCRIPT ON ‘STATES’ RIGHTS’ TO DEFY, UPEND TRUMP’S NATIONAL GUARD PLAN
Members of the Texas National Guard assemble in Elwood, Illinois, at the Army Reserve Training Center in the southwest suburb of Chicago, on Oct. 7. 2025. The Trump administration on Wednesday said it will remove National Guard troops from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
California, Illinois and Oregon responded with lawsuits seeking to block the move, arguing that federalizing the troops was an unlawful overreach. Federal judges eventually blocked the deployments.
Fox News Digital has reached out to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, as well as the mayors of Los Angeles, Portland and Chicago.
In a tweet, Newsom said Trump’s federalization of the National Guard was illegal.
«About time @realDonaldTrump admitted defeat,» he said. «We’ve said it from day one: the federal takeover of California’s National Guard is illegal.»
«Trump is backing away because there was never a legal justification for deploying troops in L.A. and cities across the country,» Karen Bass, mayor of Los Angeles, wrote on X. «The Constitution still applies to presidents who wish it didn’t. Angelenos stood together. We saw through it. The courts saw through it.»
«My office has not yet received official notification that the remaining federalized Oregon National Guard troops can return home,» Kotek said in a statement to Fox News Digital. «They were never lawfully deployed to Portland and there was no need for their presence. If President Trump has finally chosen to follow court orders and demobilize our troops, that’s a big win for Oregonians and for the rule of law.»
On X, Pritzker accused Trump of lying about why the troops will be removed.
«Donald Trump’s lying again,» he wrote. «He lost in court when Illinois stood up against his attempt to militarize American cities with the National Guard. Now Trump is forced to stand down.»
In his post, Trump said the federal government would be back, «in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again.»
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«The Atlantic» contributing writer Juliette Kayyem said Trump endangered U.S. National Guard soldiers when he deployed in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty)
«Only a question of time! It is hard to believe that these Democrat Mayors and Governors, all of whom are greatly incompetent, would want us to leave, especially considering the great progress that has been made???» he added.
The National Guard typically operates under the control of governors, but can be called into federal service by the president only under certain circumstances.
On Dec. 10, a federal judge blocked the deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles and ordered them returned to the control of Newsom.
As of Dec. 28, Chicago recorded 412 murders, down from 585 in the same time frame in 2024, according to police data.
«Chicago recorded the fewest homicides in 2025 than in any year this century, with totals far below previous spikes. The city hasn’t recorded figures this low since the mid 1960’s,» Johnson wrote Wednesday on X.
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Portland saw reoccurring anti-ICE protests in late 2025, with demonstrators clashing with authorities.
In Los Angeles, federal authorities were sometimes met with violent resistance during anti-ICE protests earlier in the year as the Trump administration tamped up its mass deportation program targeting criminal illegal immigrants.
national guard,los angeles,chicago,portland,us,donald trump,military
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France is planning to ban children under 15 from social media and to restrict cellphone use in high schools starting next year, local media Le Monde reported on Tuesday.
The proposal aims to curb excessive screen time and shield minors from online risks such as inappropriate content. President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly cited social media as a contributing factor to violence among young people.
«Many studies and reports now confirm the various risks caused by excessive use of digital screens by adolescents,» a draft law stated, according to Le Monde.
The document added that children with unrestrained access online have been exposed to «inappropriate content» and could suffer from cyber-harassment or experience changes to their sleep patterns, according to the outlet.
AFTER AUSTRALIA PASSES SOCIAL MEDIA BAN, LAWMAKERS PROBED ON WHY CONGRESS HASN’T DONE MORE TO PROTECT KIDS
President Emmanuel Macron is planning to ban social media use among children under 15 years old. (TERESA SUAREZ/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The proposal follows Australia’s lead after the country introduced a world-first ban on social media for children under 16 years old in December, restricting access to platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.
Macron is aiming for Parliament to debate the proposal in January, with a potential start date of September next year, according to the local outlet.
In June, Macron said he wanted to push for similar regulations across the European Union (EU), following a fatal school stabbing in eastern France that shocked the nation in April, Reuters reported.
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A 13-year-old girl is using her smartphone in a dark room. (iStock)
Macron has previously taken numerous steps to protect minors digitally. However, technical challenges, including EU legal constraints and weak enforcement, have limited the effectiveness of such measures.
Cellphones have already been banned in French elementary and middle schools since 2018, according to Le Monde.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese enacted a world-first social media ban in December, barring children under 16 from using major platforms. (Brent Lewin/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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In 2023, France reportedly attempted to pass a law calling for a «digital legal age,» which required parental consent for social media users under 15 years old. The law, however, was blocked by EU regulations.
In November, the European Parliament urged the EU to set minimum social media ages to tackle adolescent mental health issues, though final decisions rest with its member states, Reuters reported.
france,kids,regulation,world
INTERNACIONAL
Año Nuevo en el mundo EN VIVO: Europa recibió al 2026 con espectáculos de fuegos artificiales y DJs
Las festividades comenzaron en el remoto atolón de Kiritimati y avanzaron desde Asia hasta el continente europeo. Los americanos aguardan por las celebraciones
Las celebraciones de Año Nuevo recorrieron el planeta este miércoles y jueves mientras miles de millones de personas despiden un 2025 marcado por conflictos geopolíticos, crisis climáticas y tensiones económicas. El remoto atolón de Kiritimati en Kiribati inauguró las festividades a las 10:00 GMT, seguido por Auckland, Sídney y las principales capitales del este asiático en una cadena global de fuegos artificiales, ceremonias y reflexión.
Sídney ofreció uno de los espectáculos más emotivos: nueve toneladas de fuegos artificiales iluminaron el icónico puerto ante cientos de miles de espectadores, pero las celebraciones incluyeron un minuto de silencio y proyecciones de “Paz” y “Unidad” en el puente del puerto en memoria de las 15 víctimas del tiroteo masivo en Bondi Beach ocurrido hace dos semanas. En Seúl, fuegos artificiales estallaron sobre la Lotte World Tower mientras la histórica campana del pabellón Bosingak sonó 33 veces, una tradición arraigada en la cosmología budista que simboliza los 33 cielos.
China recibió el nuevo año con un espectáculo de tambores tradicionales en la Gran Muralla, horas después de que el presidente Xi Jinping defendiera la paz global y reiterara el objetivo de “reunificación” con Taiwán. Hong Kong, Taiwán, Malasia, Singapur y Filipinas se sumaron simultáneamente a las festividades. Las celebraciones continuarán su avance hacia el oeste rumbo a Tailandia, India, Europa y finalmente las Américas.
Europa no se quedó atrás con las celebraciones y las principales capitales del continente lanzaron fuegos artificiales para recibir el Año Nuevo. París, Londres, Berlín y Edimburgo fueron las ciudades que destacaron por sobre el resto.
Grecia celebró la llegada de 2026 e iluminó el cielo sobre la antigua Acrópolis de Grecia
Los fuegos artificiales iluminaron el cielo sobre la colina de la Acrópolis en Atenas la noche del miércoles, marcando la llegada del nuevo año. El espectáculo, que tiñó de colores los antiguos monumentos y el templo del Partenón, reunió a miles de personas en la capital griega para celebrar la víspera de Año Nuevo.
El templo del Partenón recibió 2026 en un ambiente tranquilo, con fuegos artificiales limitados. El alcalde de Atenas explicó que la ciudad optó por pirotecnia silenciosa y respetuosa con el medio ambiente, atendiendo a las molestias que los espectáculos ruidosos pueden causar a mascotas, animales y personas sensibles al ruido.
Las mejores imágenes del recibimiento de Londres al 2026
El espectáculo de fuegos artificiales de Año Nuevo iluminó la Torre Elizabeth y el London Eye durante las celebraciones que marcaron la llegada de 2026 en Londres.
El evento, organizado por la alcaldía, reunió a más de 100.000 personas a lo largo del río Támesis, uno de los puntos más emblemáticos de la ciudad en estas fechas.
Los berlineses recibieron al 2026 en la Puerta de Brandeburgo
Unas 20.000 personas se congregaron en la Puerta de Brandeburgo de Berlín para dar la bienvenida al Año Nuevo, disfrutando de un espectáculo de fuegos artificiales sobre el emblemático monumento histórico de la capital alemana.
Además, DJs animaron la celebración en Alemania.
Los fuegos artificiales iluminaron el cielo de Edimburgo para dar la bienvenida al Año Nuevo
Las icónicas celebraciones en Europa recorrieron el mundo y en Escocia los festejos de “Hogmanay” en Edimburgo atraen a decenas de miles de personas a la capital escocesa para disfrutar de fiestas callejeras y fuegos artificiales.
Dubái recibe al 2026
Dubái da la bienvenida al Año Nuevo con un impresionante espectáculo de fuegos artificiales en el rascacielos más alto del mundo, Burj Khalifa.
Hong Kong dio la bienvenida a 2026
Taiwán recibió el año nuevo
Tokio recibió el 2026 con ceremonias budistas y celebraciones callejeras
La capital japonesa dio la bienvenida al nuevo año con tradiciones centenarias y festividades modernas que llenaron las calles minutos después de la medianoche.
Monjes budistas tocaron la gran campana del templo Zojoji en Tokio, siguiendo la costumbre ritual que marca el inicio del shōgatsu, el festival de Año Nuevo más importante del calendario japonés. La ceremonia forma parte de las celebraciones que se extenderán hasta el 3 de enero, cuando millones de japoneses visitarán templos en todo el país.
En otras partes de la ciudad, bailarines actuaron frente al edificio del Gobierno Metropolitano de Tokio durante un evento de cuenta regresiva justo antes de la medianoche.
Las fotos del Año Nuevo en Corea del Sur
Seúl despidió el 2025 con celebraciones que combinaron tradiciones centenarias, modernos despliegues visuales y un tono de sobriedad tras la tragedia aérea de Jeju Air en diciembre de 2024 que cobró 179 vidas.
La Lotte World Tower, el edificio más alto de Corea del Sur, se iluminó con un espectáculo de rayos láser y fuegos artificiales a medianoche, mientras decenas de miles de personas se congregaron en el pabellón Bosingak para presenciar la ceremonia de las campanas. La histórica campana de bronce sonó 33 veces, en una tradición arraigada en la cosmología budista que busca disipar la mala fortuna y dar la bienvenida a la paz y prosperidad.
Miles de fieles budistas visitaron el templo Jogyesa, caminando bajo linternas decoradas con deseos de Año Nuevo mientras rezaban por el año venidero. Las imágenes desde Seúl muestran también a ciudadanos fotografiándose frente a letreros luminosos de “2026” en las calles de la capital, en celebraciones marcadas por medidas de seguridad reforzadas.
Beijing recibió el 2026 con un espectáculo de tambores en la Gran Muralla
China dio la bienvenida al nuevo año a las 16:00 GMT (medianoche hora local) con una celebración en la sección Juyongguan de la Gran Muralla, que incluyó una cuenta regresiva y un tradicional espectáculo de percusión.
La ceremonia en uno de los monumentos más emblemáticos del país se sumó a las celebraciones que se extendieron simultáneamente por toda la región: Hong Kong, Taiwán, Malasia, Singapur y Filipinas también recibieron el 2026 en esta hora, horas después de que el presidente Xi Jinping pronunciara su mensaje de fin de año defendiendo la paz global y reiterando el objetivo de “reunificación” con Taiwán.
China y sus vecinos del este y sudeste asiático se unen así a Japón y Corea del Sur en la cadena de celebraciones que continúa su avance hacia el oeste rumbo a Tailandia, India y el resto del continente.
Anniversaries,General Society,Human Interest,Europe,Anniversaries,Human Interest / Brights / Odd News
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