Is the whiskey industry in trouble?

By Elena Burnett,

Mary Louise Kelly, John Ketchum

Published January 2, 2026 at 4:51 PM EST

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with bourbon expert Fred Minnick on what Jim Beam's halting distillation at main distillery reveals about the challenges facing the bourbon industry and the year ahead.

Elena Burnett

Mary Louise Kelly

Mary Louise Kelly is a co-host of All Things Considered, NPR's award-winning afternoon newsmagazine.

See stories by Mary Louise Kelly

John Ketchum

John Ketchum is a senior editor for All Things Considered. Before coming to NPR, he worked at the New York Times where he was a staff editor for The Daily. Before joining the New York Times, he worked at The American Journalism Project, where he launched local newsrooms in communities across the country.

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