It’s a sign of the overwhelming pressures facing U.S. distilleries.

BY AVA LEVINSON, NEWS WRITER

Whiskey barrels are photographed at Green River Distillery in Owensboro, Ky., on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025.

Jim Beam, the largest bourbon producer in the U.S., announced this week that it plans to close its flagship Kentucky facility for all of 2026. It will reopen after it has the “opportunity to invest in site enhancements,” according to a statement.

The move is striking, though not uncommon to the spirits industry as of late. The country’s distillers have faced headwinds and uncertainty due to Trump’s trade tariffs and a shrinking number of people drinking alcohol. 

In the past year alone the sector has reported a fall in sales of roughly five percent,

© Inc.com