American Whiskey Report February 2025

The American whiskeyworld is a roller coaster right now. Between tariffs and regular economic stressors, it’s hard to say which way things are headed right now. Overall the American whiskey market is still very strong, but growth is shrinking fast. Now on to more American whiskey news you can use!

Product Releases

Doc Holliday Bottled in Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey

The World Whiskey Society has released Doc Holliday Bottled in Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
Jefferson’s has released Ocean Voyage 31 Bourbon. Barrels were shipped from Savannah, GA to Manzanilla, Panama then on to New Zealand to Australia to South Korea to Japan before returning first to Manzanilla and then Savannah.
Old Forester has released the 117 series extra old, a Bourbon aged an extra 18 months on top of an unspecified amount of time.
Westland has released its 3rd edition of Solum American Single Malt, which showcases the role of peat in American Single Malt whiskey.
Knob Creek has partnered with Eli Manning to release Eli Manning’s 2025 Bold Pick, a limited edition single barrel Bourbon that Manning selected with Fred Noe.
New Riff Distilling has released its latest iteration of Balboa Rye, a rye whiskey made from the pedigreed rye Balboa.
Laws Whiskey House has released a new expression in its Origin Series, Super Wheater, a blend of Laws’ Four Grain Bourbon and Centennial Wheat Whiskey.
Michter’s has released Bomberger’s PFG, Kentucky Straight Bourbon finished in precision fine grain oak barrels made from oak from various regions including the Tronçais, Allier, Nevers, and Vosges forests.
The World Whiskey Society has released Green Code Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey bottled in an eco-friendly bottle that isn’t made of glass, though what it IS made of is unspecified.
Buffalo Trace has a new expression in its experimental collection, spirits distilled from grain and hops.
Penelope has released a wheated Bourbon with a mash bill of 74% corn, 16% wheat, 7% rye, and 3% malted barley.
Barrell Craft Spirits has released Barrel Foundation Double Barrel Bourbon, which is a blend of Kentucky (8yr), Indiana (5, 6, and 9yr), Tennessee (8yr), and Maryland (5 and 6yr) bourbon whiskeys that is finished in a second new American Oak cask.
High West has released High Country American Single Malt whiskey completely distilled at High West Distillery in Utah.
Green River has released a wheated single barrel Bourbon.

Big Easy Whiskey has been released as a flavored whiskey sourced from Kentucky and Indiana and blended with botanicals and fruits in New Orleans.
Kentucky Peerless is releasing a toasted barrel rye whiskey starting March 15.
Blue Note has a new release made up of a blend of straight Bourbons finished in 10 different types of casks, bottled at 116.3 proof.
Town Branch Distillery has announced a new blending strategy that impacts its flagship Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey going forward.

People News

Joseph Goode has been appointed President of Barrel Stock Trading Co. in Nashville, TN.
The ACSA has announced its 2025 mentor/mentee partnership for its STEPUP Foundation. Heaven Hill Springs Distillery’s Sydney Jones will mentor Keyah Boyd with support from Corsair Distillery and Republic National Distributors.
Laura DePasquale has been appointed new chair for WSWA Women’s Leadership Council for the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America trade organization.
Heaven Hill has appointed tuba player and industry veteran Adam Edwards as East coast ambassador.

Whiskey Del Bac Master Distiller Blender Mark Vierthaler

Mark Vierthaler has been named Whiskey Del Bac’s Master Distiller /Blender and Director of Distillery Operations after joining the company in 2021.
Hotaling & Co.’s Master Distiller, Bruce Joseph, has announced his retirement and will be named Master Distiller Emeritus.
DISCUS has announced its 2025 Craft Advisory Panel lineup:

Alex Castle - Augusta Distillery LLC
Pete Barger - Southern Distilling Company
Melanie Shelby - Enelalma Tequila
Marina Wilson - Espanita Tequila Company
Katherine Jenkins - Uncle Nearest
Ryan Lang - Middle West Spirits
Jay Finnigan - Zamora Americas
Bob Gunter - Koloa Rum Company
John Horn - Marussia Beverages USA
Ali Anderson - CraftCo Brands
Michael Langan - Gulf Coast Distillers
Felicia Keith-Jones - High Mark Distillery
Brooke Glover - Swilled Dog Spirits
Adam Spiegel - Corning & Company
Gareth Moore - Virginia Distillery Company
Philip McDaniel - St. Augustine Distillery
Robert Cullins - Disaronno
Mike Cameron - Devils River Whiskey
Jared Rapp - Traverse City Whiskey
Thomas Murray - MurLarky Distilled Spirits
Victor Yarbrough - Brough Brothers
Babbette Jones - Six Nineteen of 1865 Spirits, LLC
Blake Huber - Huber's Starlight Distillery
Brian Facquet - Do Good Spirits
Steven Brown - Untold Spirits

Sazerac is auctioning off the first ever private barrel of Pappy Van Winkle 15 year old Bourbon as well as other prizes to raise money for California wildfire relief efforts.
Chicken Cock Whiskey’s visitor center has joined the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
Rabbit Hole Founder Kaveh Zamanian and author Eric Goodman have just published The Mother Of Bourbon, a historical fiction based on the life of Mary Dowling, the woman who ran a Bourbon distillery in Juarez, Mexico during Prohibition.
The Bar at Willett Distillery has been named a James Beard Foundation Semifinalist.
The New Orleans Bourbon Festival takes place next month, March 19-23 in the Big Easy. Tickets are still available!
Kentucky Artisan Distillery has opened its Clubhouse Barrel Tasting Experience. Guests will have the opportunity to taste whiskey straight from the barrel and then bottle their own choice. Current whiskey offerings include a wheated Bourbon, a four grain Bourbon, a high rye Bourbon, a rye whiskey, and an American Single Malt. Tasting experiences start at $30 per person and can be booked online. Bottle your own is an additional fee. Available Friday thru Sunday.
Castle & Key has installed the first phase of a solar array that includes 754 solar panels, which will generate a portion of the distillery’s power needs. The final array is projected to be three times as big.
Whiskey House of Kentucky has joined the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.
The Kentucky Bourbon Trail has grown to include 60 destinations in 27 Kentucky counties.
Until the last few weeks, there were two key indicators that the market correction in beverage alcohol was leveling out. First, consumer pantry levels have remained largely unchanged since September, after it was reported that in March consumer pantries were overstocked and people were less likely to purchase beverage alcohol for their home, according to Evercore ISI. The second metric is a slight rebound in sales for LVMH, the luxury company that owns brands like Moet Hennesy and Louis Vuitton, as this company’s success usually leads trends in the luxury retail market including luxury spirits.
The Toasts Not Tariffs Coalition of DISCUS has sent a letter to the POTUS outlining the special nature of the distilled spirits industry and how tariffs would impact the economy. “Our products support businesses across communities in every corner of the country - from the farmers who grow inputs such as grapes, corn, wheat, barley, hops, rye and rice on more than 1 million acres of farmland, all the way through the supply chain to the waiters, bartenders, truck drivers and retail clerks,” the letter stated.
DISCUS has also partnered with trade organizations from Mexico and Canada to release a statement on the impacts of tariffs. The statement from DISCUS, The Chamber of the Tequila Industry, and Spirits Canada stated: “Our associations are committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to explore solutions that prevent tariffs on distilled spirits. We are deeply concerned that U.S. tariffs on imported spirits from Canada and Mexico will significantly harm all three countries and lead to a cycle of retaliatory tariffs that negatively impacts our shared industry. Maintaining fair and reciprocal duty-free access for all distilled spirits is crucial for supporting jobs and shared growth across North America. Our industries have thrived due to the level playing field established across our borders. The North American spirits sector is highly interconnected. Many companies own brands in all three countries, contributing positively to local economies. Certain spirits, such as Bourbon, Tennessee Whiskey, Tequila and Canadian Whisky, are recognized as distinctive products and can only be produced in their designated countries. Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey can only be made in the U.S., Tequila in Mexico, and Canadian Whisky in Canada. The imposition of a tariff not only negatively impacts trading partners but also harms domestic industries. Since the 1990s, trade in spirits in North America has been largely tariff-free, resulting in significant growth. U.S.-Canada trade in spirits increased by 147%, while U.S.-Mexico trade surged by 4,080%. This demonstrates how vital our cooperative efforts have been for job creation and economic stability. However, recently the North American spirits sector is experiencing a slowdown due to the continued impact of COVID and economic factors like inflation. This slowdown will be exacerbated if a cycle of tariffs and matching retaliation begins, and the impact will be felt not just by the distilled spirits industry, but also by consumers and the struggling hospitality sector, which is still recovering from the pandemic. We urge all parties to engage in constructive dialogue to address these concerns proactively and maintain our shared commitment to a thriving spirits industry across North America.”
According to the DISCUS Annual Economic Briefing on February 11, half of all American Whiskey exports go to the European Union. The 2018 trade wars caused a 20% drop in these exports, and lifting the tariffs several years later resulted in a 60% surge in this trade.
LCBO, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, believed by some in the industry to be the single largest export destination for USA-made beverage alcohol, temporarily pulled USA-made spirits off the shelf because of the USA-imposed tariffs. After an agreement was reached suspending those tariffs for 30 days the products were temporarily restored to shelves.

Bonus Cocktail Recipe

The Bamboo Room at Sorry Charlie’s The Dapper Mellow

¾ fl oz Sorry Charlie’s Select Papas Pilar Dark Rum

½ fl oz Pierre Ferrand Cognac

½ fl oz Rittenhouse Rye

½ fl oz Plantation OFTD

½ fl oz Nutmeg Demerara Syrup

2 Dashes Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate bitters

2 Dashes Angostura bitters

Orange peel

Marshmallow

Chimney-style smoke top

Applewood wood chips

Torch

Stir the Sorry Charlie’s Select Papas Pilar Dark Rum, Pierre Ferrand Cognac, Rittenhouse Rye, Plantation OFTD, Nutmeg Demerara Syrup, Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate bitters, and Angostura bitters in a mixing glass with cubed ice. Strain and pour over one large ice cube. Place chimney-style smoke top atop the cocktail and add the applewood chips. Smoke the entire cocktail with a chimney-style smoke top with torch for 30 sec to 1 min. Toast the marshmallow on a toothpick using the torch until slightly charred on the outside. Remove the smoke top and use the pick to place the toasted marshmallow on the rim of the glass. Express the orange peel over the drink.