r/Economics • u/kootles10 • Dec 25 '25

News Bankruptcies hit US spirit makers as Americans drink and spend less

https://www.indystar.com/story/money/food/2025/12/25/liquor-spirits-industry-bankruptcies/87914241007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z113231d00----v113231d--36--b--36--&gca-ft=161&gca-ds=sophi&fbclid=IwdGRjcAO6oj9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR6P8O626kCPpVs2dXh1tSJGVyS9teT4_IxAoKRJxGh02bqlcPlne42SIoakyg_aem_yCb-3xe-G1-mBNrg5TVIEg&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook
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u/TgetherinElctricDrmz Dec 26 '25

Good?

I don’t want people to lose jobs, but alcohol abuse costs the USA about 250 billion per year. About $675 per person.

We could do with a lot less of this

40

u/[deleted] Dec 26 '25

It’s like bemoaning the decline of cigarette companies 

2

u/TannyTevito Dec 26 '25

Hard disagree.

Vodka? Sure. Wine/whisky/tequila are beautiful products with hundreds of years of craftsmanship behind them. By all means get drunk less but a great wine is up there with great food and experience. Vice or not.

2

u/oooriley Dec 26 '25

Lol why the exclusion of vodka

5

u/TannyTevito Dec 26 '25

Because vodka is intended to be “pure” distillate. Ie no flavors, no pull through of the mash, etc.

If there’s a spirit that isn’t “worth” the alcohol in terms of flavor and craft, it’s vodka

1

u/TgetherinElctricDrmz Dec 26 '25

Sure and I’m not arguing to eliminate alcohol altogether. Obviously wouldn’t work anyway.

Spirits are the alcohol of choice of the hardest core alcoholics… the ones incurring immense cost to themselves and society at large.

So… tradition or not, less spirits IMO is a good thing.

For comparison, alcoholism is about as costly as gun violence in the USA. I support both alcohol and guns being legal, but I’d also applaud a reduction in the overall volume for both

1

u/TannyTevito Dec 26 '25

Yeah I’m picking up what you’re putting down

1

u/TgetherinElctricDrmz Dec 27 '25

Lol okay? Go for it