This time of year offers a great look back on 2025, which for the three of us includes a lot of music-related lists, thoughts and reflections.
On top of all the great music released, the year brought us…
The maker of Jim Beam bourbon whiskey said it plans to pause production at its main distillery in Kentucky starting Jan. 1.
Jim Beam, which is owned by a U.S. subsidiary of Japan’s Suntory Holdings, said in an email to CBS News that its distillery in Clermont, Kentucky, will temporarily halt production “while we take the opportunity to invest in site enhancements.” The company plans to keep its James B. Beam campus open for visitors during that time, the company added.
Jim Beam will continue to distill at its Fred B. Noe craft distillery in Clermont and Booker Noe distillery in Boston, Kentucky.
The pause comes amid several challenges in the wine and spirits industry. Americans overall are drinking less, with Gallup finding that the share of U.S. adults who consume alcohol has fallen to 54%, near a 90-year low.
Exports of U.S.-produced spirits fell 9% in the second quarter, partly due to the impact of the Trump administration’s tariffs, according to an October report from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, a trade group. Exports to Canada were particularly hard hit, declining by 85% during the period, after Canadian retailers pulled U.S. spirits from shelves in retaliation for President Trump’s tariffs, the group noted.
Through August, whiskey distillers had produced 55 million fewer proof gallons this year than a year ago, a decline of 28%, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. A proof gallon is one U.S. gallon of liquid that is 50% proof alcohol.
