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Jim Beam shutting down bourbon production at Kentucky distillery for a year as Trump’s trade wars hit sales
(www.independent.co.uk)
this post was submitted on 21 Dec 2025
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The funniest thing is that 'all American' Jim Beam is owned by Suntory, a Japanese company.
Even 7Eleven and Firestone are Japanese companies. Americans can’t run shit.
Way back in 1981, Ronald Reagan looked upon post-Vietnam America and saw too options. One was to tax the rich heavily, institute massive government controls on energy production, and push a renewal of America's aging heavy industries. The other was to cut taxes for the upper classes and encourage wild speculation.
You say that like Reagan had some grand economic plan. He was an idiotic actor very similar to Trump. It's true that tons of terrible policies can be traced back to his presidency but he wasn't the mastermind of much of it in the same way that Trump doesn't have a coherent plan now. They are both good examples of dumb, self serving outsiders being given too much power and listening to the wrong people.
I occasionally travel with two people for work that love bourbon, but hate Jim Bean and call it garbage. Knowing now that it is owned by a Japanese company combined with their current understanding of blaming Biden for the current economy, really puts it together as to why they hate Jim Bean.
These are also the same people that ask me how it's like living two hours from the war torn and destroyed area known as Portland.
Eh, Jim Beam is generally considered cheaper, kinda bottom-shelf stuff these days. Fine for a bourbon and coke, but not really intended to be sipped neat. I wouldn't really be surprised by a bourbon-lover turning their nose up at it, regardless of who owns the brand.
They have some very premium brands as well, that definitely deserve praise: hardin's creek, little book especially.
Anything labeled Jim beam is swill to meh (except Lineage, but you'll never see that on a shelf). The old grandad (bonded or 114) line is bang/buck.
It could just be they don't like drinking shitty bourbon. Jim Beam is... not great.
Jim beam was in the “cheap rotgut” category for ages. They only fairly recently started trying to make decent stuff again, regardless of ownership.
As to your colleagues… people can dislike mediocre whiskey and still be assholes.
Propaganda is a helluva drug, that's for sure.
Tell them it’s horrible and they should stay in Florida.
Jim Beam is 80 proof, while a lot of more expensive bourbon is more like 90 proof. Personally I prefer the lesser kick, and I live in the US, but do you think I'm going to be able to stock up on cheap Jim Beam? Hah, don't bet on it.
Japan has a greater appreciation for American things like jazz and bourbon than Americans do
there's a japanese jazz scene?
a vibrant one
I don't know if it still does, but I know electronic jazz had a big scene there a few years back.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/why-is-japan-a-jazz-paradise-or-why-the-japanese-feel-at-home-in-jazz
They've got a pretty hoping rockabilly subculture too
"Make it... Suntori time..."
https://youtu.be/FiQnH450hPM#t=1m53s
Back in the 1970s Suntory Whiskey had a huge sign over Times Square in New York. The sign is visible in movies like Shaft. You couldn't find Suntory in any American bar, but the company knew that Times Square was iconic and their sign would be seen all over the world.