How Tariffs Are Hurting
Kentucky Signature Industries

The trade wars launched under Donald Trump hit Kentucky bourbon especially hard. Retaliatory tariffs from key international markets directly targeted America’s bourbon industry.

The results have been devastating:

• Exports dropped sharply, cutting off access to some of bourbon’s most important global customers. We’re seeing Canadian bartenders make Old Fashioneds with Canadian Whiskey.

• Distilleries paused or slowed production, putting pressure on workers and small businesses in the downstream bourbon economy.

• Farmers growing corn and grains felt the ripple effects.

• Small and mid-size distilleries, without the cushion of massive reserves, were hit first and hardest, with several filing for bankruptcy.

For an industry built on long-term investment where today’s barrels won’t be sold for years, this kind of instability threatens the future, not just the present.

Kentucky did not start these trade wars, but our communities are paying the price.

Standing up for Bourbon

Kentucky bourbon isn’t just a product — it’s part of who we are.

From the limestone water beneath our feet to the generations of skilled workers who craft every barrel, bourbon is a signature Kentucky industry that supports tens of thousands of jobs across farming, manufacturing, tourism, transportation, and hospitality. Nowhere is that more true than here in Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District, where distilleries large and small are anchors of local economies.

But today, that legacy is under threat.

Cherlynn’s Commitment to Kentucky Bourbon

Cherlynn believes that protecting Kentucky bourbon means protecting Kentucky workers, farmers, and small businesses — not using them as bargaining chips in reckless trade fights.

In Congress, Cherlynn will:

• Fight for trade policies that open markets, not close them, so Kentucky bourbon can compete and win worldwide.

• Push back against tariffs that unfairly target signature American industries, especially those rooted in rural communities.

• Stand up for small and family-owned distilleries, ensuring they have a voice alongside larger producers.

• Support workforce development and tourism initiatives that keep bourbon jobs local and communities strong.

• Work across the aisle to bring stability and predictability back to trade. Because businesses can’t plan when Washington lurches from crisis to crisis.

Keeping a Kentucky Tradition Alive

Bourbon has survived wars, depressions, and Prohibition because Kentuckians fought to protect it. Today’s challenge is different, but the responsibility is the same.

Cherlynn is running to be a steady, clear voice for Kentucky in Congress. One that understands our heritage, respects our workers, and will do the hard work to keep one of Kentucky’s most iconic industries alive for generations to come.

Kentucky bourbon deserves more than chaos. It deserves leadership that knows its value — and is willing to fight for it.

Check out the map below to see all of the distilleries in the Sixth Congressional District.