Jim Beam Just Dropped an Affordable Bourbon Made for Summer Sipping — and It Has an Unusual Ingredient

On Thursday, Jim Beam announced the launch of a new expression crafted specifically for summer sipping: Jim Beam Sunshine Blend.

Beam describes Sunshine Blend as a “delicate blend” of Jim Beam’s classic Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and a bourbon made with brown rice and aged for four years.

Beam says that the “balanced and smooth” flavor profile at low proof (the legal minimum, 80) lends to a whiskey perfect for summer sipping.

“With bourbon drinkers expanding and Gen Z/Millennials leading a shift toward lighter, sessionable spirits, Sunshine Blend enters at the perfect moment — bringing flavor, ease, and sociability to a category traditionally known for depth and complexity,” Beam said in a statement.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Beam’s experimental brown rice bourbon. It goes back to 2015, when Beam debuted an 11-year Brown Rice Bourbon in its Signature Craft Series. Then, in November 2022, Beam debuted the first expression in its Distillers’ Share series, a 5-year-old bourbon with brown rice in the mashbill. We’ve seen the brown rice bourbon pop up again in blends in the past couple of years, first in Basil Hayden Toast and then just last month in the ninth release of the Little Book series.

Click here to find Jim Beam Sunshine Blend at a Total Wine near you.