Diageo has quickly ceased whiskey manufacturing at its Balcones and George Dickel distilleries with the lack of 17 jobs, because it re-evaluates its ‘productiveness objectives’, The Spirits Enterprise can reveal.
Distilling and barrel-filling operations at Balcones distillery in Waco, Texas, have been halted in August, with 17 roles impacted by the pause.
In the meantime, the Cascade Hole distillery at Diageo’s Tullahoma facility in Tennessee, which produces George Dickel whiskey, has additionally been quickly closed with no job losses.
The customer centres at each distilleries stay open for excursions and tastings.
A spokesperson for Diageo North America stated: “Yearly we run normal momentary slowdowns or shutdowns throughout our operations to assist our effectivity and productiveness objectives.
“Since we’re forward of schedule with the amount we produce on the website, this 12 months we determined to quickly pause our distilling operations and barrel-filling exercise by means of June 2026.
“Throughout this time, workers will work on strategic initiatives, conduct trainings to proceed constructing capabilities and upkeep processes to place our websites for a profitable begin of our subsequent fiscal 12 months.”
The transfer follows the ‘prolonged pause on distillation’ earlier this 12 months at Diageo’s Dublin distillery, Roe & Co, which prompted the departure of grasp distiller Lora Hemy.
The Spirits Enterprise understands all crew leaders at Balcones, together with head distiller Jared Himstedt, blender Emma Crandall, mixing supervisor Gabriel RiCharde, model schooling supervisor Alex Elrod and nationwide model ambassador Charlie McRae, in addition to Nicole Austin, director of American whiskey liquid growth at George Dickel, stay of their positions.
Diageo additionally pauses manufacturing at Teaninich
In addition to pausing manufacturing at Roe & Co, Balcones and George Dickel, Diageo additionally confirmed manufacturing has halted at its Scottish distillery Teaninich ‘in step with our regular stock administration processes to make sure we steadiness manufacturing with long-term demand’.
It’s understood the Speyside website is the one Scotch distillery in Diageo’s portfolio to be affected by the corporate’s manufacturing slowdown.
In March, Diageo paused manufacturing and barrel filling at its carbon-neutral whiskey distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky, once more stating it was ‘forward of schedule with the amount we produce on the website’.
In January it additionally introduced its choice to consolidate its bottling operations at Stitzel-Weller with different Diageo-owned amenities in Shelbyville and Lebanon ‘as a part of a broader multi-year programme to strengthen Diageo’s provide chain by bettering productiveness, resilience, and agility’.
Final month it confirmed its Crown Royal bottling operation in Ontario, Canada, would additionally shut by February 2026.
Moreover, the corporate’s Northern Eire arm will axe roughly 60 roles because it seems to outsource some industrial operations roles to India.
The closures come as Diageo elevated its operational cost-cutting programme by US$125 million to US$625m throughout its full-year fiscal 2025 ends in August. On the time, interim CEO Nik Jhangiani confirmed ‘there might be some [job cuts]’ as Diageo seems to ‘releasing up sources and {dollars} the place we will reinvest for the enterprise’.
“We don’t take these choices calmly, and we recognise the influence on our workers,” a Diageo spokesperson added. “For these affected, we’re offering assist within the type of severance packages, outplacement help, and worker help sources, in addition to info on open roles throughout our organisation.”
Balcones distillery was based in 2008 by Chip Tate. It was acquired by Diageo in 2022 and described on the time by Claudia Schubert, president for Diageo North America, as “true innovators and pioneers within the rising American single malt and Texas whiskey actions, and their super-premium-plus whiskies are extremely complementary to our whisky portfolio”.
The Balcones customer centre, which stays open, has welcomed greater than 25,000 guests since 2024.
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