Jim Beam Halts Production at Key US Distillery Amid Bourbon Glut

Bourbon maker Jim Beam plans to pause production at its main US distillery for all of 2026 after slumping demand caused an oversupply of whiskey.

The brand, owned by Japanese alcohol giant Suntory Holdings Ltd., said it’s halting whiskey distillation at the James B. Beam campus in Clermont, Kentucky after an assessment of its production levels against consumer demand, according to a statement on Monday.

Bottles of Jim Beam Bourbon on a conveyor belt inside the bottling plant at the Jim Beam Bourbon Distillery in Clermont, Kentucky.

Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Getty Images

The company plans to use the downtime to invest in site enhancements. Production will still continue at the smaller Fred B. Noe craft distillery in Clermont and the Booker Noe site in Boston, ...