Bottles of Jim Beam bourbon roll down a conveyor belt at the company’s distillery in Clermont, Ky. Jim Beam, owned by a U.S. subsidiary of Japan’s Suntory Holdings, said its Clermont distillery will temporarily halt production “while we take the opportunity to invest in site enhancements.” Photo courtesy Beam Suntory, Inc.
Jim Beam will pause operations at its flagship bourbon plant in Kentucky in the new year.
The James B. Beam Distilling Co. announced that production will temporarily halt at the main distillery at the James B. Beam Campus in Clermont, Ky., “while we take the opportunity to invest in site enhancements.”
The company plans to keep the campus open for visitors during that time and will maintain production at its Fred B. Noe Distillery in Clermont and the Booker Noe facility in Boston, Ky.
The slowdown comes as the spirits industry faces headwinds with U.S. alcohol consumption dropping to 54% near its lowest level in decades, according to Gallup.
Whiskey output fell 28% through August with distillers producing 55 million fewer proof gallons than 2024.
The Distilled Spirits Council reported in October that U.S. spirit exports dropped 9% in the second quarter with shipments to Canada plunging 85% after retailers pulled American products in response to tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
“Long-term planning for a product that won’t be ready for years is already tough enough. We need the certainty of tariff-free trade for America’s only native spirit to flourish,” said Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association, in October.
Last year, the company revealed that customers can buy whiskey by the barrel as the Kentucky bourbon distiller celebrated its 230th anniversary this year.
“We are always assessing production levels to best meet consumer demand and recently met with our team to discuss our volumes for 2026,” the company said in the statement.
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