669. Why Is 95 Percent of the World’s Bourbon Made in Kentucky?
Freakonomics Radio

669. Why Is 95 Percent of the World’s Bourbon Made in Kentucky?

Apr 3, 2026 · 46 min

About this episode

<p>Is it tradition … or protectionism? And what happens when the bourbon boom turns into a glut?</p> <p> </p> <ul> <li><strong>SOURCES:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://utia.tennessee.edu/person/?id=12933" rel="noopener noreferrer">Andrew Muhammad</a>, agricultural economist at the University of Tennessee.</li> <li><a href="https://gatton.uky.edu/people/brad-patrick" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brad Patrick</a>, executive in residence and lecturer at the University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics, bourbon fellow at the James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits.</li> <li><a href="https://www.sazerac.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Danny Kahn</a>, master distiller and distillation and aging operations director at Sazerac.</li> <li><a href="https://gatton.uky.edu/people/ken-troske" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ken Troske</a>, labor economist and chair of the economics department at the University of Kentucky.</li> </ul></li> </ul> <p> </p> <ul> <li><strong>RESOURCES:</strong> <ul> <li>"<a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/americas-bourbon-boom-is-over-now-the-hangover-is-here-3e9961d7" rel="noopener noreferrer">America's Bourbon Boom Is Over. Now the Hangover Is Here</a>," by Aaron Tilley and Sadie Gurman (<i>The Wall Street Journal</i>, 2024).</li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/4toR73Z" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America's Whiskey</i></a>, by Reid Mitenbuler (2015).</li> <li>"<a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-27/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-5/subpart-I/section-5.143" rel="noopener noreferrer">Code of Federal Regulations: Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits</a>," (<i>Electronic Code of Federal Regulations)</i>.</li> </ul></li> </ul><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>