Bourbon and Distillery News for March 6, 2026

Welcome to the latest edition of Bourbon Obsessed Bourbon and Distillery News! It’s been a busy week in the bourbon world!

Bourbon and Distillery News For March 6, 2026

But First, Here’s What’s New on BourbonObsessed.com!

• HK Young Toasted Barrel Blend Bourbon “No Time For Rye” is a six-year-old barrel strength bourbon finished in multiple toasted barrel types and bottled at 121.2 proof. The brand says the blend highlights how toasted oak can shape a whiskey’s character. Does it deliver? Read my full review to find out!
• HK Young Toasted Small Batch Bourbon Batch No. 2 is a 6–7 year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon finished in multiple toasted barrels and bottled at 91.4 proof. The brand says it is meant to deliver “all the richness of our [higher proof] toasted barrel work but in a softer, welcoming pour.” Does it meet that goal? Read my full review to find out!
• High West Cask Strength Bourbon is a limited-edition, 117-proof release blending straight bourbons aged 6 to 20 years. So, what is this relatively high-proof pour like? Find out in my review!
• Ampersand Opimus is a 15-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon finished for 9 months in Tokaji wine casks and bottled at 117 proof. With limited production and a $150 price tag, does the Tokaji finish add meaningful complexity? Read my full review to find out!

Bourbon and Distillery News for March 6, 2026

Mississippi ABC Distribution Problems Leave Liquor Stores and Restaurants Without Inventory

According to Mississippi Today, liquor stores, restaurants, casinos, and bars across Mississippi have been struggling to receive alcohol shipments due to major delays at the state-run Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) warehouse in Gluckstadt. Because Mississippi is a control state, most spirits and wine sold wholesale must pass through the state’s single distribution warehouse. Business owners report waiting weeks for orders that normally arrive in days, and some say shipments arrive incomplete even though they have already been billed for the products. Retailers across the state say the disruption has left shelves empty and forced restaurants to adjust wine and cocktail menus.

The problems began earlier this year after the warehouse implemented a new software management system. The implementation had issues that took weeks to resolve, and the software also turned out to be incompatible with the conveyor system used to load delivery trucks, significantly slowing shipments during the transition. State officials told lawmakers that the warehouse had accumulated a backlog of roughly 199,000 cases of alcohol awaiting distribution and acknowledged the system “crawled for a couple of weeks” as operators struggled to get the new system working. WLBT reported that officials expect to reduce the backlog by half by the end of March and work through the remaining orders by May if the warehouse continues increasing shipments.

Recent reports indicate the situation remains ongoing. Retailers say deliveries are still delayed and some businesses have been billed for alcohol they never received, though the state has begun issuing credits in some cases after complaints from store owners. WAPT reported that the billing issues stem from the same warehouse transition and ordering system problems that triggered the broader distribution backlog.

Iowa Bill Proposes Ending State Wholesale Monopoly on Spirits

Iowa lawmakers are considering legislation that would repeal the state’s monopoly on the wholesale distribution of distilled spirits. House File 2403 would eliminate the exclusive authority currently held by the Iowa Department of Revenue to import alcoholic liquor into the state and instead direct the department to study the implications of ending that monopoly. The legislation requires the department to review regulatory, financial, and administrative impacts and submit recommendations to the Iowa General Assembly on how alcohol distribution and regulation would function without the monopoly. The repeal would take effect on July 1, 2027. LegiScan

The bill was introduced on February 11, 2026, and later advanced out of the House State Government Committee with a recommendation for passage. If enacted, the proposal would represent a significant change to Iowa’s current system, in which the state acts as the wholesale distributor for spirits sold to retailers. Telegraph Herald

Editor’s Note: The structure of this legislation is unusual. While the bill sets a firm implementation date of July 1, 2027 for ending the state’s monopoly on importing spirits, it simultaneously directs the Iowa Department of Revenue to study the potential impacts and develop recommendations for how the new system would operate. In effect, the legislature is establishing the deadline for the policy change while asking the state to determine the details of how it would be implemented. The bill does not outline what would happen if the study determines that eliminating the monopoly would create significant regulatory or logistical challenges.

Kentucky Bourbon Trail Launches “Build Your Own Bourbon Trail” Trip Builder

The Kentucky Distillers’ Association has launched a new online trip builder that allows visitors to customize and personalize their ideal Kentucky Bourbon Trail itinerary. The “Build Your Own Bourbon Trail” tool enables guests to curate personalized itineraries, save their plans, and share their trip with friends and travel companions. The new digital feature is designed to inspire travel to Kentucky communities and help tourists explore the growing network of Bourbon Trail destinations across the Commonwealth. You can find the full press release here and the trip planner here.

Kentucky Distillers’ Association Welcomes Prova Spirits as New Member

The Kentucky Distillers’ Association has welcomed Prova Spirits as the newest member of the trade group representing Kentucky’s Bourbon and distilled spirits industry. Founded in 2024, the Italian-inspired nano-distillery is located in Louisville’s NuLu district and began production last August. Known for its small batch spirits including amaro, gin, limoncello and vodka, Prova Spirits offers curated tastings, a cocktail bar, cocktail classes and events. The distillery joins the KDA as a Craft-level member, producing fewer than 10,000 barrels per year. provaspirits.com

Kentucky Bourbon Festival Announces Sponsors and Featured Distillery for 35th Anniversary

The Kentucky Bourbon Festival has announced renewed sponsors and its featured distillery ahead of the event’s 35th anniversary celebration. The festival, held annually in Bardstown, Kentucky during National Bourbon Heritage Month, brings together more than 60 bourbon brands and visitors from around the world.

The 2026 festival will once again be presented by The Koetter Group, with additional sponsorship support from Joseph & Joseph Architects, KPFF Consulting Engineers, and Oris, which will serve as the official timepiece of the KBF and sponsor of the Oris President’s Club. The festival also announced that New Riff Distilling will be the featured distillery for the 2026 event. The 2026 Kentucky Bourbon Festival is scheduled for September 10–13, 2026 in Bardstown, Kentucky. More information is available at kybourbonfestival.com. Read the full press release here.

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Sazerac Company Acquires Garrard County Distilling Debt

According to Janet Patton reporting in the Lexington Herald-Leader, court filings in the receivership proceedings for Garrard County Distilling Co. show that Tom Collins Distilling LLC—owned by Sazerac Company—has purchased the majority of the distillery’s debt from Truist Bank. The bank stated that on Feb. 11 it “sold, assigned and transferred all of its right, title and interest in the loan” to Tom Collins Distilling. Truist is asking the court to substitute Tom Collins as plaintiff ahead of a March 6 hearing in Garrard Circuit Court. The purchase price was not disclosed, but Truist previously alleged that the parent company of Garrard County Distilling owed them more than $26 million in loans.

Garrard County Distilling Co., located on 210 acres near Lancaster, KY, opened in January 2024 but later entered receivership amid lawsuits, unpaid debts, and more than $2.5 million in liens on the property. The 50,000-square-foot distillery includes 18 fermenters and three rickhouses, according to the article, and was built to produce bourbon and other whiskeys for contract production as well as its own branded releases.

Editor’s Note: Buying the debt instead of the property gives Sazerac significant control over the outcome of the receivership. As the holder of the primary loan, the company is now in a position to influence how the case proceeds and could potentially acquire the distillery assets through foreclosure or a court-ordered sale rather than purchasing the facility outright.

The Blending House Opens in Shelbyville Offering Barrel Storage, Bottling, and Blending Services

The Blending House, a new full-service post-distillation facility in Shelbyville, Kentucky, has officially opened, offering barrel storage, blending, and bottling services for distillers and spirits brands. The operation was founded by spirits industry veterans and The Spirits Group co-founders Monica Wolf Brown and Master Blender Ashley Barnes. The campus includes a 30,000-square-foot blending and bottling facility and seven rickhouses equipped with the K-RAX Premium Barrel Storage System, with capacity for more than 120,000 barrels currently on site.

The facility was designed to provide a centralized production hub for spirits brands that may not have their own infrastructure for storage, blending, or packaging. Bottling services include filtration, proofing, labeling, and packaging, with a custom bottling line capable of handling formats from 200 mL to 1.75 L and producing up to 250,000 cases annually. Blending operations are led by Master Blender Ashley Barnes and take place in a dedicated sensory lab, where services such as warehouse profiling, product development, and quality control are offered to both emerging and established brands. Source: Distillery Trail

Editor’s Note: I had thought the Blending House had been open and operating for a little while already, but this appears to be their official announcement.

Report Finds Alcohol Spending Near 40-Year Lows as Drinking Habits Shift

A new report from the Bank of America Institute finds that alcohol spending as a share of household budgets is hovering near its lowest level in nearly four decades, largely because overall consumption is declining. The analysis combines aggregated and anonymized Bank of America credit and debit card transaction data with public economic indicators such as Bureau of Labor Statistics spending data and national alcohol use surveys. According to the report, alcohol spending as a share of total consumer expenditures is now near the third lowest level recorded in the past 40 years.

The data also shows a shift in where alcohol dollars are being spent. Purchases at liquor, wine, and beer stores fell about 5% year over year in January, while spending at bars increased nearly 4%. Researchers suggest this may indicate consumers are cutting back on drinking at home while continuing to seek social experiences outside the home.

Generational differences appear to be driving much of the long-term change. Nearly 3.9 million fewer adults aged 21–34 report binge drinking compared with a decade ago, with the share of binge drinkers in that age group declining from nearly 40% to about 30%. Bank of America spending data also shows stronger growth among Gen Z and Millennials in categories such as gyms, golf, and other fitness activities than at bars. In contrast, spending growth at bars has been stronger among Gen X and Baby Boomers, suggesting older consumers are driving much of the recent growth in bar spending.

Editor’s Note: This data has some flaws, such as not taking into account per capita spending, but rather looking at generations as a whole. Therefore, some Gen Z have reached legal drinking age during the survey, and some people have moved on to the next generation during the time of the survey. Nonetheless, it still shows some interesting trends

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Last, but not least, three of the major spirits companies have recently reported financial results. For prior newsletters, I have spent hours sifting through the reports and picking out the most relevant data. However, to be more efficient, and more importantly, to save my sanity, this week, I have asked ChatGPT to review them for us. We have included the links to the financials at the end of each section, for those who want to read more. Hopefully there aren’t too many errors….

Major Spirits Companies Report Mixed Results, with U.S. Whiskey Trends in Focus – A Summary of Recent Financial Reports Prepared by ChatGPT

Three major companies with significant exposure to American whiskey recently reported results, and the common thread is a market that remains uneven—especially in the U.S. Below are the key bourbon- and American-whiskey-relevant points from each company’s own release.

Diageo reported that “reported net sales of $10.5 billion declined 4.0%” for the six months ended Dec. 31, 2025, and that “organic net sales declined 2.8%.” The company said that growth in Europe, Latin America and Caribbean, and Africa “was more than offset by softer performance in North America given pressure on disposable income impacting US Spirits,” and added that “US Spirits performance reflected pressure on disposable income, and competitive pressure from more affordable alternatives addressing a more stretched consumer wallet.” Diageo also said it updated its fiscal 2026 organic net sales and operating profit growth guidance “given further weakness through the first half in the US.” Diageo

Brown-Forman reported “third quarter reported net sales increased 2% to $1.1 billion (+1% on an organic basis)” and that diluted earnings per share “increased 1% to $0.58” for the quarter ended Jan. 31, 2026. For whiskey, the company said “net sales for whiskey products increased 2% (+1% organic) led by innovation,” and specifically cited “the launch of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Blackberry,” while noting this was “partially offset by declines of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey.” In the United States, Brown-Forman said net sales “declined 8% (-1% organic)…as well as lower volumes, led by Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey,” but added that the decline was “partially offset by innovation… and higher volumes of Woodford Reserve due to timing of distributor ordering patterns in our transition markets.” Brown-Forman

MGP Ingredients reported that full-year 2025 “consolidated sales declined by 24%…to $536.4 million,” driven “primarily due to the anticipated decline in Distilling Solutions segment sales.” For the whiskey-focused Distilling Solutions business, MGP said “segment sales decreased 45%…to $181.4 million,” and that “full-year brown goods sales declined by 52% as the company proactively renegotiated contracts and many large customers paused purchases, including to balance their whiskey inventories and manage their working capital.” In Branded Spirits, MGP reported “Branded Spirits sales decreased 3% to $232.9 million,” while “premium plus sales increased by 5%,” and noted that in the fourth quarter, premium-plus brands posted “10% sales growth…led by Penelope Bourbon.” MGP Ingredients

Bourbon and Distillery News For March 6, 2026

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Well, that’s it! I hope you have enjoyed reading this week’s Bourbon and Distillery News! If you would like our newsletters delivered directly to your inbox, please sign up here. Our next New Bourbon Releases News will be published on Friday March 13. In addition, the podcast and YouTube versions of this newsletter will go live on Monday March 9. If you enjoy our content, I would greatly appreciate if you would follow us on Instagram and Facebook. I hope you have a great weekend! See you next time! Cheers!🥃

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