Cloudy future for bourbon has Jim Beam closing Kentucky distillery for a year

Bourbon maker Jim Beam is halting production at one of its distilleries in Kentucky for at least a year as the whiskey industry navigates tariffs from the Trump administration and slumping demand for a product that needs years of aging before it is ready. Jim Beam said the decision to pause bourbon making at its Clermont location in 2026 will give the company time to invest in improvements at the distillery. The company's larger distillery in Boston, Kentucky, will continue to operate, the company said.