The Looming Whiskey Shortage Amidst COVID-19

The effects of COVID-19 are being felt around the world in several different ways. One factor that many consumers may not be aware of is how the pandemic has impacted manufacturing and production within certain industries. This includes whiskey and “whisky” industries across the globe, from Japan to Scotland to here in the US. While our production and staff have not been affected and Tenjaku Japanese whisky will continue to flow, some industry experts think that there is the potential for a whisky shortage among other brands in the near future.

There are several reasons for a potential shortage. Economic hardship and a challenging business environment has forced many smaller distilleries to scale back production in order to help keep the lights on. Although Tenjaku Whisky isn’t one of them, many distilleries have altered their operations away from whiskey in order to begin manufacturing ethanol for hand sanitizers and other essential cleaning products. The threat of the virus has also led some companies to close down their distilleries and bottling plants due to government regulations and employee safety. We are grateful at Tenjaku Whisky that we have continued to weather the storm during the pandemic.

When you combine this decrease in production with the fact that industry experts believe that consumer sales of whisky have remained steady, it’s understandable why some believe a shortage could emerge. Even if there may be no immediate or short-term effects, a more long-term production shutdown could have significant implications for the broader supply chain of whisky down the road.

The news isn’t all grim. Here at Tenjaku Japanese Whisky USA, we’re still working hard to produce the smooth, flavorful spirit that our fans have come to know and love through the years. And while we are still operating like normal and do not anticipate a shortage of Tenjaku Whisky, we feel it is important to keep our readers aware of trends and happenings within the industry that they should know about.

For more information, keep an eye out for more blog posts in the weeks to come, follow us on our Facebook and Instagram pages, and visit our Where To Buy Tenjaku Whisky page to see where our Whisky is available. Tenjaku Whisky is currently sold in over 40 states in the US.