Jim Beam pausing main Kentucky distillery for 2026

The Kentucky bourbon brand Jim Beam will pause operations at its main distillery in January 2026, with no clarity on whether it will be a long or short term move.

In a statement The company said in a statement it would close its distillery in Clermont until it took the "opportunity to invest in site enhancements." Industry experts are pointing to the White House tariff wars as a cause.

Here & Now's Scott Tong turns to Susan Reigler, a bourbon historian and contributing writer for American Whiskey Magazine.