July 23, 2025 3:05PM # July 30 Event: Senators Tim Kaine and Rand Paul Discuss the Effects of Tariffs on the US Bourbon and Wine Industries By [Scott Lincicome](https://www.cato.org/people/scott-lincicome) --- SHARE Listen to this article Generated with [ ElevenLabs](https://elevenlabs.io/) AI technology. Loading the [Elevenlabs Text to Speech](https://elevenlabs.io/text-to-speech) AudioNative Player... ![bourbon](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/pubs_2x/public/2025-07/bourbon.jpg?itok=oOpHATgx) In Kentucky, bourbon has long been a source of local pride and economic growth, contributing $9 billion annually and supporting 23,000 jobs. Similarly, the Virginia wine industry has exploded over the past 30 years, today accounting for $1.73 billion in annual sales and more than 10,000 jobs. These industries today face significant challenges, including [rising](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/08/business/trump-tariffs-whiskey.html) [input costs](https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2025/04/18/trump-wine-tariff-imports-virginia-vineyards), [foreign retaliation against exports](https://www.courier-journal.com/story/life/food/spirits/bourbon/2025/07/15/bourbon-other-u-s-spirits-could-be-hit-with-more-eu-tariffs/85205766007/), and [weakened distribution channels](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/05/jack-daniels-maker-says-canada-pulling-us-alcohol-off-shelves-worse-than-tariff.html), due to the current US tariff policy. On Wednesday, July 30, Senators Tim Kaine (D‑VA) and Rand Paul (R‑KY) will join me at Cato for [a discussion](https://www.cato.org/events/effects-tariffs) on the effects of US tariffs on the American wine and spirits industries. Our conversation will also examine the broader legal, economic, and political challenges that tariffs present, and the path forward for both the industries affected by the current tariffs and US trade policy. There will be a tasting of a variety of American wines and bourbons immediately following the discussion. Make sure to save your spot [here](https://www.cato.org/events/effects-tariffs). We hope to see you there. ##### Related Tags [Economics](https://www.cato.org/economics), [Trade Policy](https://www.cato.org/trade-policy) [![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).