DramMaster Daily Whisky News — 22 July 2026

Trump Slaps 50% Tariff on Canadian Spirits — Effective August 19

President Donald Trump has imposed a 50% tariff on most Canadian alcohol categories — beer, wine, cider, and spirits — citing Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 and claiming Canada "unreasonably burdens and disadvantages US alcoholic beverages." The tariff takes effect August 19 and applies even to products qualifying for preferential treatment under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which is currently under six-year review.

The move follows Canadian provinces pulling US-made alcohol from government-controlled stores in response to earlier Trump tariffs. The White House says Canadian imports of US alcohol plummeted 81% between March 2025 and February 2026. Prime Minister Mark Carney called the tariff "the latest in a series of unilateral US trade actions" and said Canada has made detailed proposals to resolve the dispute.

Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the US (Discus), acknowledged the damage caused by Canadian restrictions but warned: "Imposing a 50% tariff on imported spirits from Canada deepens trade tensions and raises the risk of further retaliation at a time when many US hospitality businesses continue to face financial hardships."

Murray's take: A 50% tariff on Canadian spirits is a sledgehammer dressed as a trade remedy. Canadian whisky becomes a luxury import overnight. The US side gets hurt too: American distillers already lost most of their Canadian market, and escalation rarely stops at one round. The USMCA review is the off-ramp, but neither government looks interested before August 19.

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Kingsbarns Opens First Putting Green at a Scottish Distillery — St Andrews Links Whisky and Golf

Kingsbarns Distillery, just outside St Andrews, has opened what is believed to be the first putting green at a Scottish distillery. The Fife-based producer of Lowland single malts sits in the town known as the "home of golf," and founder Douglas Clement — a local golf caddie — established the distillery in 2009.

The putting green overlooks the St Andrews coastline and is open to visitors alongside the distillery tour and café. William Wemyss, founder and chairman of Wemyss Family Spirits, which owns Kingsbarns, said: "Golf and whisky have always felt naturally connected, and particularly so in a place like St Andrews where both are woven into the very identity of the area."

Kingsbarns produces Lowland single malts with a light, fruity, floral character using locally grown barley. Its core range includes Doocot, Balcomie, and Coaltown. It also makes gin under the Darnley's brand. To mark the opening, distillery manager Peter Holroyd will set a score on the green in August, and visitors who beat it enter a prize draw for the three-bottle core range. Last September, Kingsbarns launched Caddies' Dream whisky, inspired by St Andrews' golfing legacy. Neighbouring Eden Mill launched a golf simulator challenge last month with a £5,000 whisky cask as the prize.

Murray's take: Whisky tourism is a competitive market and experiences are the differentiator. A putting green at a distillery in the home of golf is not a gimmick — it is the most obvious idea nobody had executed yet. Kingsbarns was founded by a caddie. The connection is not manufactured. Whether it moves bottle sales is a separate question, but it gives a visitor a reason to drive out from Edinburgh that goes beyond the tasting room. In a region where every distillery offers a tour, that matters.

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Spirit Capital Acquires Shuttered Killarney Distillery — Swiss Group's First Move into Irish Whiskey

Spirit Capital, a Swiss private equity group based in Zug, has acquired Ireland's Killarney Brewing & Distilling Company (KBD) for an undisclosed sum. The site in County Kerry includes a brewery, distillery, and visitor centre. KBD entered liquidation in July 2025 after failing to secure investment during a court-supervised examinership, making all 54 workers redundant.

Spirit Capital owns three Calvados brands — Boulard, Le Compte, and Père Magloire — and two Armagnacs through its French arm, Spirit France Diffusion. The Killarney purchase is the company's first move into Irish whiskey. Spirit France operates three distilleries in Normandy and Armagnac with three bottling lines and four ageing cellars.

The combined brewery and distillery site opened in 2022 after construction delays. It struggled with Covid's impact, tariff uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, and rising input costs. A preliminary deal with a US investor in early 2025 fell through. KBD made a blended Irish whiskey, beers, and a gin, with its inaugural distillery-produced whiskey initially due to launch in 2028. Spirit Capital plans to "rebuild local employment" and reopen on a "phased, responsible basis."

Murray's take: A Swiss Calvados company buying a failed Irish distillery is not an obvious pairing, but the logic is straightforward. Spirit Capital knows how to age spirit, run a visitor centre, and build a premium brand — all three of which are what Killarney needs. The 54 workers losing their jobs is the human cost of the gap between ambition and capital. If Spirit Capital actually reopens the distillery and employs people, that is the metric that matters. The 2028 whiskey timeline is ambitious given the site has been dark for a year.

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New Riff Launches Headliner 2026 — $150 Blended American Whiskey Supporting Cincinnati Charities

New Riff Distilling has released Headliner 2026, its third annual Headliner expression. Bottled at 59.4% ABV, the blend comprises three whiskeys all aged at least 10 years: 50% 11-year-old malted rye bourbon, 25% 11-year-old rye, and 25% 10-year-old Balboa rye. Limited quantities are available from July 24 via the New Riff Whiskey Club website at $150 RRP.

Master distiller Brian Sprance described the blending process: "We started with a lot of possibilities but kept coming back to three standout components. Maybe it's no coincidence that some of our favourite punk bands only needed three members."

The tasting profile runs to rich oak, dark fruit, and pine on the nose, with clove, black pepper, and baking spice. The palate opens with fig, raisin, and honeyed currant before deep oak and dark spice. The finish is long, resinous, and dry. Proceeds support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati, mentoring over 1,000 children across 13 counties, and Tri-State Trails, a regional bikeway network.

Murray's take: A blended American whiskey at 59.4% ABV built from 10- and 11-year-old rye components is not a crowd-pleaser — it is a statement. The malted rye bourbon component is unusual and gives the blend a texture standard rye-heavy blends lack. $150 is premium territory for a Kentucky blend, but the age statements and the charity angle earn the pricing window. New Riff has built its reputation on refusing to follow convention, and Headliner 2026 does not break that streak.

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US Alcohol Sales Drop 17.4% After Independence Day — But Spirits-Based RTDs Surge 31%

Total US alcohol sales fell 17.4% in the week following July 4, according to NielsenIQ data for the four weeks ending July 11. Total beverage alcohol sales reached $9.3bn — down 2.6% year-on-year, with volumes down 4.7%. Beer fell 3.9% in value, wine 3.2%, and spirits 2.4%.

The detail tells a more interesting story. Spirits-based RTDs grew nearly 31% in value. Prepared cocktails rose 0.3% in value despite a 4.8% volume drop — the higher cost per serve sustaining dollars as moderation pressures consumption. Non-alcoholic "spirits" were the standout, with sales up 22.8% and volumes climbing 22.4%. American whiskey lent strength to the whiskey category with a 2.6% value increase, even as vodka declined 4.5% and tequila dipped 1.1%.

IWSR research indicates the RTD category could grow by 400% by 2029. NielsenIQ said the industry will look to Fifa World Cup sales data for the next demand signal.

Murray's take: The headline is "sales down." The story is "categories diverging." Spirits-based RTDs growing 31% while beer and wine decline is the clearest signal in this dataset — premixed is where the American drinker is heading, and spirits-based options are leading. Non-alcoholic spirits at nearly 23% growth is not a fad anymore. American whiskey holding positive while exports collapse under tariffs tells you the domestic market is doing the heavy lifting. The World Cup data will confirm whether the summer bump is structural or seasonal.

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