A Double Whammy for US Whisky Distillers (WhiskyCast Episode 706: June 14, 2018)

 


Tax cuts that took effect at the start of 2018 encouraged many US
whisky distillers to expand their facilities. Now, they're caught
in the middle of the trade war between the United States and its
trading partners in Canada, Mexico, and the European Union. Not
only are the whiskies some of those distillers export going to be
hit with new tariffs at the start of July, but prices for the
stainless steel and aluminum they need for those expansion
projects are going up because of the US tariffs on imported steel
and aluminum. We'll look at the issue on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In
the news, Brown-Forman has opened its Old Forester distillery on
Louisville's "Whiskey Row" downtown, while the management of
Bardstown's Willett Distillery is being handed down to the next
generation. Wild Turkey is releasing a new Bourbon with a back
story appropriate for Father's Day weekend, and we'll head into
the weekend with some Dad jokes.