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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.
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«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.»
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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.
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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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Held at gunpoint at 9, Iranian refugee turned pastor now prays for Iran’s hour of freedom
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An Iranian refugee held at gunpoint at school before fleeing Iran during the 1979 revolution is calling for hope, democracy and prayers for his homeland as the U.S. joins Israel in targeting Iran’s ruling clerical regime.
David Nasser, now an American pastor, spoke to Fox News Digital six days after Operation Epic Fury was launched in Iran, which reignited haunting memories for him and of the time when he was 9 years old.
«As a child, my family and I were forced to escape Iran and run for our lives,» Nasser, President and CEO of David Nasser Outreach recalled.
«We found safe harbor as refugees granted political asylum here in the United States,» Nasser said, describing how his father had been a high-ranking officer in Iran’s military, meaning «his family became targets as the government collapsed.»
«One of my most vivid memories of realizing that nothing was ever going to be the same again was at a school assembly on a military base — a soldier called out three names and mine was called first,» he said.
David Nasser fled Iran when he was 9 years old during the 1979 revolution. (David Nasser)
«When I got to the front, the soldier dropped a piece of paper, took a gun out of his holster and put it to my head and quoted the Quran. He told me that he was sent to make an example out of me,» Nasser added.
The principal intervened, but the message he relayed was unmistakable. Nasser recalled.
«They’re killing everybody who’s anybody. They’re trying to make an example out of people like our family, and they’re using fear,» he remembered hearing at the time.
«That’s one of my first memories of the revolution, but really just being completely scared for my life.»
Soon after, Nasser’s family devised an escape plan. They would pretend Nasser’s mother needed emergency heart surgery in Switzerland and buy round-trip tickets to avoid raising suspicion.
«We bought round-trip airline tickets like we were going and coming back, but we weren’t coming back. We were running for our lives,» he said.
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David Nasser recalled a school assembly on a military base when a soldier called out his name and put a gun to his head. (David Nasser)
At the airport, Nasser remembers gripping his father’s hand tightly and hearing words he will never forget.
«‘If they find out we’re escaping, they’re going to kill us right here on the spot,’ my father said as his hands shook, holding mine. The last time I was in Iran, I was a 9-year-old little boy running for my life,» he said.
Now, watching events unfold in Iran from the safety of the U.S., Nasser said his heart remains with millions of desperate Iranians facing uncertainty.
«We see them — I see them, I hear them. My heart is beating really fast for them right now with hope and with prayers for their protection and their provision,» Nasser said.
«Protection. I’m praying for protection for them. I want to be a part of the provision for them. If Iran transitions from a theocracy to a democracy, I want to help rebuild.»
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Pastor David Nasser fled Iran as a child and urges hope during the U.S. military campaign in Iran. (David Nasser)
«If this moment actually comes, and they go from a theocracy to a democracy, I want to be a part of the solution — for that 9-year-old little boy that I once was. I want to do this for him.»
Beyond political change, Nasser, who is also teaching pastor at New Vision Baptist Church, said he takes solace in what he describes as spiritual transformation already underway, calling it «the fastest-growing church in the world right now or the underground church in Iran.»
«We know there’s at minimum 4 million, at maximum 8 million Christians right now in Iran,» he said.
«In Iran, if you convert from Islam to Christianity, that can be a death sentence. If they come into your home, and you’re gathering for Christian worship, they will take your home title, you will lose your home.
«They’re in prison. They’re being tortured. They’re being ridiculed. They’re being mocked.
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«Above all, I came to America, and it was a land of opportunity. And I was given the gift of democracy. So, I would love to see democracy in Iran, where all the boys and girls are afforded what I was afforded when I managed to escape.»
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Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, will not seek reelection, opting to leave the Senate just minutes before Wednesday’s filing deadline in the Treasure State, three sources confirmed to Fox News Digital.
Montana’s senior senator is serving his second term and was widely expected to secure a third in Big Sky Country, where President Donald Trump won by nearly 20 points in 2024. He previously served two terms in the House before making the leap to the upper chamber.
Daines played a key role during that election cycle as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, helping Republicans regain a majority in the upper chamber. He also backed Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Montana, in a grueling race against former Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, helping the GOP secure unified control of Washington.
Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, plans to retire at the end of his term, opening up his seat in Big Sky Country as Republicans look to keep their grip in the upper chamber. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The lawmaker said in a video statement that after «much careful thought, I’ve decided not to seek reelection.»
He thanked his wife, Cindy, and noted that for the last 13 years, she «has selflessly dropped me off at the airport at 5 a.m. on most Mondays for that commute back to D.C.»
«And together, Cindy and I look forward to the next chapter, like cherishing moments with seven grandchildren, spending a bit more time in Montana and continuing to make a difference,» he said.
With Daines set to leave the Senate, Republicans will now look to hold the seat. Montana’s primary election is scheduled for June 2.
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President Donald Trump takes questions from the media during a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office of the White House on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Montana U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme filed just minutes before Daines withdrew from the race, according to the Montana Secretary of State. Earlier Wednesday, former University of Montana President Seth Bodnar entered the race as an independent.
Trump wasted no time lauding Daines and swiftly backing Alme in a post on Truth Social.
«Steve Daines, of Montana, is one of our truly Great United States Senators,» Trump said. «He honorably served for 12 years in the Senate, and 2 in the House of Representatives. He did a job like few others are capable of doing but, sadly for our Country, Steve’s Term is up, and he has decided to leave the Senate and, ‘pass the torch’ to Kurt Alme, my TRUMP 45 and TRUMP 47 U.S. Attorney.»
OPERATION EPIC FURY SURVIVES SENATE CHALLENGE AS REPUBLICANS CLOSE RANKS BEHIND TRUMP
Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., arrives to a caucus meeting with House Republicans on Capitol Hill on May 10, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Three Democrats are also running on the opposite side of the primary field: Alani Bankhead, Reilly Neil and Michael Blackwolf.
A spokesperson for the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, told Fox News Digital in a statement that «Republicans’ midterm prospects are so bleak in 2026 that yet another Senator is running for the hills.»
«Steve Daines is joining more and more of his colleagues in deciding to throw in the towel rather than defend their toxic record,» they said. «This news is the latest flashing warning sign to all GOP senators: Your jobs are not safe, retire or lose.»
Daines’ departure comes on the heels of Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Montana, who earlier this week announced he plans to retire from the House.
Zinke cited several undisclosed surgeries stemming from injuries he suffered as a Navy SEAL.
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«My judgment and experience tell me it is better for Montana and America to have full-time representation in Congress than run the risk of uncertain absence and missed votes,» Zinke said.
His open primary has already attracted several Montana Republicans, including Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen and conservative radio host Aaron Flint, who swiftly earned the endorsements of Zinke and Trump.
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montana,elections state and local,senate elections,republicans,politics
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