Beam Pauses Whiskey Production at Flagship Distillery

Jim Beam bottles are seen in a store in Bergamo, Italy on September 2, 2024. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via AP)

James B. Beam will reportedly pause production at its flagship distillery in Clermont, Kentucky, from Jan 1 through the end of 2026.

The brand says that the James B. Beam campus will close “while we take the opportunity to invest in site enhancements.” The facility is responsible for nearly a dozen bourbon staples, including Knob Creek, Booker’s, Baker’s and Basil Hayden. Brand owner Suntory Global Spirits says that the site will continue to operate its bottling and warehousing functions, and will continue to host guests traveling the famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

“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 added.

The company has not announced layoffs, though it is reportedly in talks with employees represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers union as it “determines the impact on its workforce,” per CNN.

Suntory employs between 1,000 and 1,500 workers across the state of Kentucky. The company’s other two distilleries in the area — the Freddie Booker Noe craft distillery in Clermont and the Booker Noe Distillery in Boston — will continue to operate without disruptions throughout 2026.

It’s the latest in a string of closures sweeping the American whiskey industry. In September, Diageo announced that it was temporarily halting production at its Balcones and George Dickel distilleries in Texas and Tennessee, respectively, resulting in the loss of 17 jobs. Months earlier, Jack Daniel’s owner Brown-Forman announced that it was laying off approximately 12% of the company’s global workforce and closing a Louisville-based cooperage.

The year-long pause at the James B. Beam campus is one of the biggest closures yet. Though the company didn’t provide much explanation, probable causes include a national decline in liquor consumption and ongoing trade tensions, particularly with Canada.