Dem
47
GOP
53
What is the most iconic hard liquor brand in the United States? We would say that Jack Daniel's is probably #1, but not far behind is Jim Beam. Certainly, Jim Beam is iconic enough that consumers, both domestic and foreign, instantly recognize it as an American brand (even if the current owner, Suntory, is actually Japanese). Yesterday, citing "tariff uncertainty," Suntory announced that it would halt all production at its main Kentucky facility for the entirety of 2026.
There is an auxiliary facility in Kentucky, so some production will continue. And, of course, bourbon has to be aged, so there's a large supply currently in reserve (16 million barrels, a record total). The Jim Beam tours for tourists will also continue. However, around 1,000 people will be out of work as of January 1. Also, once a production facility ceases operation, it sometimes does not start up again. Or, if it does, it re-starts in some other place. By law, "bourbon" must be made in the U.S. to be labeled as such. But it doesn't have to be made in Kentucky. Plus, one can imagine that a slight name change might be adjudged to be "worth it." Kobe beef has to come from Japan, but there are plenty of people in the U.S. selling Kobe-style beef. Is Kentucky-bourbon-style whiskey an impossibility? Maybe not.
Although Suntory blamed the tariffs, we have to imagine that's only part of the equation. The main non-domestic purchaser of bourbon is Canada, and these days, American products are pretty unpopular there. This is partly due to the tariffs, but it's mostly due to the shabby way that Donald Trump has treated the folks in the Great White North. It must surely be the case that the decline in sales, coupled with the record volume of reserves, is what really drove this decision.
We do not imagine that the Trump administration will lift so much as a finger to try to improve the situation. First, Trump is an adherent of the big, swinging di** school of negotiation, and is not going to be shamed into concessions, particularly from foreigners, and more particularly from foreigners who are not white. Beyond that, most presidents would be at least somewhat worried about the pain that will be inflicted on Kentuckians, either out of a basic sense of decency, or out of fear for the political repercussions, or both. Well, Trump doesn't have a basic sense of decency (see Reiner, Rob — tragic death of), and he does not seem to care much about politics these days (see above). What he DOES care about these days is revenge (again, see above). And you can make a pretty good case that Trump's three least-favorite Republicans (or, maybe three of the top five) are Kentuckians: Sens. Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul, and Rep. Thomas Massie. So, Trump will probably enjoy fiddling while Kentucky burns. (Z)