If you were worried that a walkout at two Jim Beam distilleries in Kentucky was going to threaten supplies of whiskey, rest easy: striking workers voted today to accept a new contract from parent company Beam Suntory. [More]
bourbon
Could A Strike At Jim Beam Distilleries Mean A Whiskey Shortage?
By 10.17.16 — Updated: 11.1.16
More than 200 union workers went on strike over the weekend at two Jim Beam distilleries in Kentucky after voting to reject the most recent contract offer from the world’s top bourbon producer. Does that mean we could see a shortage of the stuff in the future? [More]
Pennsylvania Holding A Liquor Lottery To Sell Rare Booze
By 10.5.15
When it comes to rare alcohol, Pennsylvania is trying to make sure anyone who wants to buy their favorite limited-quantity wines and spirits has a fair shot: the state’s Liquor Control Board is going to host a lottery this month to give drinkers a chance to get their hands on products that are hard to come by. [More]
Judge Dismisses Jim Beam False Advertising Lawsuit Over “Handcrafted” Label
By 8.25.15
A lawsuit that claimed Jim Beam’s “handcrafted” description was all a lie has been dismissed by a federal judge in California, noting that the use of stills is common in the industry, and that customers understand the whiskey is made using some machines. [More]
Kentucky Authorities Say They’ve Busted A Criminal Whiskey Syndicate
By 4.22.15
Officials in the bourbon basin* say they’ve put all the pieces of a puzzling disappearing whiskey caper together, announcing the arrest of a group accused of orchestrating liquor thefts at two famous Kentucky distilleries. [More]
Kentucky Investigators Say There’s New Evidence In Case Of Stolen Bourbon Barrels
By 4.14.15
Lest you think the state of Kentucky is takes bourbon theft lightly, state officials say they’re not content with going after the one person already arrested after five barrels of Wild Turkey bourbon were pilfered from a warehouse, and that more booze may have been pilfered than previously believed. [More]
Lawsuit Against Jim Beam Challenges Bourbon’s “Handcrafted” Claim
By 2.19.15
When it comes to making a name for a brand, the words companies use to describe their products are chosen very carefully for maximum appeal. But the thing is, those words have to be true. Jim Beam is the latest liquor maker to face challenges over its claims that its bourbon is actually “handcrafted.” [More]
From Guacamole To Coffee To Beef To Bourbon, Your Favorite Things Will Cost More In 2015
By 12.15.14
While the prices on certain things will inevitably decrease in the coming year — like the cost of my 1989 Daihatsu Charade or the amount of money I need to spend on shampoo — lots of things are expected to get pricier. Unfortunately, a number of these more expensive items are probably on many of your “things I really enjoy” lists. [More]
Kentucky Bar Selling Rare Bourbon In $10 Jell-O Shots Because Why Not?
By 11.7.14
I’m all for a nice glass of delicious bourbon, because I am a person, but when it comes to some whiskey fans, only the best is worthy of worship. And because the “best” is often linked to scarcity, Pappy Van Winkle has earned quite a reputation among tipplers for its rare, exclusive line of bourbons. So much so that people go to great lengths to steal it. But one bar owner isn’t playing into the hype. Nope, instead, he’s selling off a bunch of the stuff in $10 Jell-O shots. Just because he can. [More]
Man Swears He Was Just Asking About Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon, Not Selling Stolen Booze
By 10.29.13
We are living in a time of heightened suspicions when it comes to a very particular kind of bourbon: A few short weeks ago, someone stole $26,000 worth of rare Pappy Van Winkle bourbon from the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky. So clearly, anyone asking about, mentioning or even thinking about the stuff will get the attention of cops. [More]
Maker’s Mark: Haha, Just Kidding — We Won’t Water Down Bourbon
By 2.19.13
While you were sweetly slumbering through the three-day weekend (or grumbling at your desk yesterday) you might’ve missed the news that several of your bourbon-loving brethren are sure to have noticed. Namely, that Maker’s Mark admitted it’d made a mistake and won’t be watering down its product, after all. Go ahead, even belated sighs of relief are allowed. [More]
Maker’s Mark Dropping Potency Of Its Bourbon By 3% Due To Demanding Customers
By 2.11.13 — Updated: 2.12.13
Perhaps it’s that guy who always shows up with a bottle of Maker’s Mark instead of a six-pack, or maybe you’ve got a stockpile of the stuff in your basement where the wife can’t see, but because so many people want bourbon, it’s getting harder to supply the liquid to drinkers of the stuff. To remedy the problem of lacking supplies to meet high demand, the makers of Maker’s Mark (say that three times fast) are reducing its alcohol by volume three percentage points. [More]
