Bourbon on the decline?

HotMop

All-American
May 8, 2006
7,736
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Jim Beam is pausing distilling at it's main facility in Claremont for all of 2026. Maybe some of those prices will start coming down this year.

canada blame GIF
 

TheDawg-Pound

Senior
Dec 21, 2024
672
498
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Is it that or people are more selective. You'll always have people buying cheap whiskey but I feel like more people I know are buying from these smaller distilleries more now than the more premium bigger distilleries. It could just be age group thing.
 
May 20, 2023
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I’m in the industry and bourbon is definitely on the downswing; i don’t know if it is because people don’t have as much disposable cash right now or just because it is playing out to an extent. But, the African American community seems to be dipping their toes into it and if it grabs hold with that demographic, that will keep things going.

That said, younger people don’t drink so the whole industry is down.

If things ever become more affordable again, it will be interesting to see if the bourbon bro’s get back to it or if people have just grown tired of it.
 
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L4Dawg

All-American
Oct 27, 2016
10,252
7,109
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Jim Beam is pausing distilling at it's main facility in Claremont for all of 2026. Maybe some of those prices will start coming down this year.

Drinking over all is down, but one of the biggest culprits is the Canadian boycott.
 

TheDawg-Pound

Senior
Dec 21, 2024
672
498
63
I’m in the industry and bourbon is definitely on the downswing; i don’t know if it is because people don’t have as much disposable cash right now or just because it is playing out to an extent. But, the African American community seems to be dipping their toes into it and if it grabs hold with that demographic, that will keep things going.

That said, younger people don’t drink so the whole industry is down.

If things ever become more affordable again, it will be interesting to see if the bourbon bro’s get back to it or if people have just grown tired of it.
Yeah I've noticed the younger generation is not drinking like mine as well. I'd love to know the tipping point, what changed.
 

TheDawg-Pound

Senior
Dec 21, 2024
672
498
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The more readily thc becomes available the more you will see the decline of alcohol sales.
as far as the bourbon I believe some has to do with people not drinking as much and at some point this bourbon bubble was going to bust. I noticed my annual allocations I got this year were much cheaper than the past few years
Interesting.
 

Chesusdog

All-Conference
May 2, 2006
4,779
4,734
113
The more readily thc becomes available the more you will see the decline of alcohol sales.
as far as the bourbon I believe some has to do with people not drinking as much and at some point this bourbon bubble was going to bust. I noticed my annual allocations I got this year were much cheaper than the past few years

Less calories, less damage to your body, no hangover. It's no wonder people are going for that over booze.
 

John Deaux VII

All-Conference
Jun 7, 2024
947
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There has been an explosion of the number of brands and product variations - small batch, single barrel, limited editions - only some many people are going to by those and it does not seem like there is enough volume / demand for the producers to make money on it.

Bulliet and Buffalo Trace have so many different items that I can't even count of them, but we can't even get a boring old bottle of Old Charter 8 Year anymore..... **** that.
 

ETK99

Heisman
Jul 30, 2019
9,307
13,076
112
There has been an explosion of the number of brands and product variations - small batch, single barrel, limited editions - only some many people are going to by those and it does not seem like there is enough volume / demand for the producers to make money on it.

Bulliet and Buffalo Trace have so many different items that I can't even count of them, but we can't even get a boring old bottle of Old Charter 8 Year anymore..... **** that.
Why can't you get old charter?
 
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BigDogFan

Freshman
Oct 12, 2016
93
54
18
I read a study today concerning the decline in drinking by gen z. They found the rise in marijuana use was the choice for that age group. Overall drinking consumption is down in the group but bing drinking is still about the same.
 

L4Dawg

All-American
Oct 27, 2016
10,252
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Less calories, less damage to your body, no hangover. It's no wonder people are going for that over booze.
Jury is still out on the damage to your body. We haven’t had this sample size with the current products/strength long. The early returns, especially for younger people, show some reason for concern. We will know in a decade or two.
 

57stratdawg

Heisman
Dec 1, 2004
148,390
24,168
113
Tough times for Bourbon companies. Tariffs have really hurt their ability to reach international markets and Americans - specifically younger Americans - are drinking way less.

Hard to see either of those trends changing in the next few years.
 

Dawgbite

All-American
Nov 1, 2011
8,699
9,244
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I tried one of the THC Seltzer’s a while back. Drank one about the speed I’d drink a beer. I went from nothing, to a good buzz, to head spinning about to puke, and back to nothing all in the span of maybe an hour to hour and a half. I don’t know how you’d pace yourself on that stuff to enjoy it.
 

hdogg

Senior
Nov 21, 2014
1,151
717
113
As a weekly consumer of Makers and,or Knob Creek for 15+ years, it's amazing how that price point hasn't increased as much as most other things the past few years. If prices go lower, lord help my liver!
But seriously, Scotch is different, from tarriffs I believe. There is an aberlour abundah I get for hiking trips that was $80ish back in 2018,, it's up to $120 now. They finally priced me out.
 

aTotal360

Heisman
Nov 12, 2009
21,714
14,328
113
I blame the retailers/stores in conjunction with naive consumers during Covid.

The Rona boom was real. Special releases doubled in price in less than 24 months. Tons of $40-60 bottles (Weller Antique 107, Blantons, EHT, etc) went to $100+ in my neck of the woods. And consumers didn't bat an eye. Producers chase the trend, and since bourbon isn't made overnight, a lot of them are stuck holding the bag while the trend is fading.
 

olblue

All-Conference
Aug 17, 2011
3,552
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Jim Beam is pausing distilling at it's main facility in Claremont for all of 2026. Maybe some of those prices will start coming down this year.

There are a number of reasons including the younger generation preferring less expensive craft cocktails in a can, but supply and demand never fails. The bourbon boom created huge inventories and the market is being forced to correct.
 

Maroon Eagle

All-American
May 24, 2006
17,961
7,765
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Everything sooner or later becomes a niche product if only temporarily at best… The question is if it’s something that has happened because of economic trends or if it’s generational…

As for me, I rarely drink bourbon… I simply haven’t acquired the taste for it to be something I’d like regularly.

The seltzers also don’t interest me.

I also stay away from THC. I have ocd but I largely look at it as a net positive in that it gives me the drive to do certain tasks that are considered boring but also essential by folks so I don’t want to take anything that may affect it.

Beer is more my speed.
 
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BIGDAWG44

Senior
Aug 22, 2012
647
514
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In St. Louis last week I saw a big display of Buffalo Trace at the front of a grocery store, marked down to $22.
Missouri is 1 of 3 states that has a deal with the distillery. When I went bow hunting up there in November. We would see Buffalo trace in gas stations for about that much. Lowest I saw was $17!
 
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mstateglfr

All-American
Feb 24, 2008
15,932
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Jury is still out on the damage to your body. We haven’t had this sample size with the current products/strength long. The early returns, especially for younger people, show some reason for concern. We will know in a decade or two.
What concern for younger people is shown from the early returns?
- physical developmental issues?
- mental developmental issues?
- increased chance for disease?

You cant say data show a reason for concern and not specify the concern- this is SPS!
 

OG Goat Holder

Heisman
Sep 30, 2022
12,218
11,302
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Jury is still out on the damage to your body. We haven’t had this sample size with the current products/strength long. The early returns, especially for younger people, show some reason for concern. We will know in a decade or two.
OK boomer. Down with the devil's lettuce!

I mean ya'lls orange hero even recognizes the benefits of it. Let go dude.
 

Seinfeld

All-American
Nov 30, 2006
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I don’t know if this is in any way connected or not, but I walked into Buster’s on NYE in Memphis, and I had my pick of at least a dozen bottles that I’d typically be hunting.

There were 3 cases of Blanton’s gold just sitting on the floor. Whistlepig 15, EH Taylor special barrel proof, Angel’s Envy 10, Knob Creek 18. I grabbed the EH Taylor, but I had my pick of just about anything
 

hatfieldms

All-Conference
Feb 20, 2008
8,633
2,203
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I don’t know if this is in any way connected or not, but I walked into Buster’s on NYE in Memphis, and I had my pick of at least a dozen bottles that I’d typically be hunting.

There were 3 cases of Blanton’s gold just sitting on the floor. Whistlepig 15, EH Taylor special barrel proof, Angel’s Envy 10, Knob Creek 18. I grabbed the EH Taylor, but I had my pick of just about anything
Yeah Germantown wine also has a ton out on the floor of their allocated stuff
 

L4Dawg

All-American
Oct 27, 2016
10,252
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OK boomer. Down with the devil's lettuce!

I mean ya'lls orange hero even recognizes the benefits of it. Let go dude.
The studies are out there in public. If you don't want to read them that's fine by me. I don't really care one way or another on THC. If you want to stay fat, stoned, and stupid instead of fat, drunk, and stupid as you go through life that's your choice. :D