When it comes to booze, honestly, the nations of Europe have nothing on the United States. Not only was our nation founded by rebellion, one of the American people's first dust-ups with our own government was over a tax on whiskey. Oh, sure, there are plenty of folks who are teetotalers, but many Americans still like an ice-cold beer or a snort of good whiskey now and then, with this author enthusiastically a part of that latter group.
After all, we all have our ways of dealing with the stresses and strains of everyday life. I drink.
So, when the European Union tries to start a micturition range and accuracy competition with the United States over booze, they are in over their heads - and leave it to our teetotaler president to remind them of that.
President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened a 200% tariff on European wine, Champagne and spirits if the European Union goes forward with a planned tariff on American whiskey.
The European import tax, which was unveiled in response to steel and aluminum tariffs by the U.S. administration, is expected to go into effect on April 1, just ahead of separate reciprocal tariffs that Trump plans to place on the EU.
But Trump, in a morning social media post, vowed a new escalation in his trade war if the EU goes forward with the planned 50% tax on American whiskey.
“If this Tariff is not removed immediately, the U.S. will shortly place a 200% Tariff on all WINES, CHAMPAGNES, & ALCOHOLIC PRODUCTS COMING OUT OF FRANCE AND OTHER E.U. REPRESENTED COUNTRIES,” Trump wrote. “This will be great for the Wine and Champagne businesses in the U.S.”
Here's the Truth Social post in question:
It reads:
The European Union, one of the most hostile and abusive taxing and tariffing authorities in the World, which was formed for the sole purpose of taking advantage of the United States, has just put a nasty 50% Tariff on Whisky. If this Tariff is not removed immediately, the U.S. will shortly place a 200% Tariff on all WINES, CHAMPAGNES, & ALCOHOLIC PRODUCTS COMING OUT OF FRANCE AND OTHER E.U. REPRESENTED COUNTRIES. This will be great for the Wine and Champagne businesses in the U.S.
I'm not sure how easily Europe will get along without American whiskey. I know I've had some very fine Scotch and Irish whiskeys in my day, but boy, I think that in the realm of booze, we can do without Europe just fine. We have ample domestic suppliers, and some of them are just outstanding.
See Related: Neurosurgeon: Booze Is Bad. America: Another Round, Please.
With a weekend drawing nigh and maybe some pre-weekend Thursday imbibing as well, let's look at some noteworthy examples - at least, some I find noteworthy and worth suggesting; your mileage may vary.
Alaskan Brewing - Alaskan Amber. Brewed up in Juneau, Alaskan's Amber is my go-to Saturday lunch beer. It's a rich, frothy beer, without the annoying overly-citrusey tang you find in a lot of small brew-house tipples; it's just a good steady, golden amber beer, the perfect thing to accompany a cheeseburger or a steak sandwich. Alaskan has a big selection to choose from, including a very nice white ale, and they aren't only available in the Great Land - I've found Alaskan products for sale as far east as Iowa.
TX Blended Whiskey. I just recently discovered this one, and it was a surprise. Price-wise it's a mid-range whiskey, but its flavor was all out of proportion to its price. This is a classic sippin' whiskey, smooth, a hint of a smoky flavor, and it goes down like silk. The company's website says it's available in "select states," but that selection encompasses 34 states, so your odds are good. So far, this blended whiskey seems to be a standalone product, but I am looking forward to seeing this distillery expand.
Denali Spirits. Denali has a pretty good range of distilled adult beverages, including a single malt whiskey, a dark Barbados rum, and an "agave spirit," which I presume is their take on tequila. I have only sampled the single malt, and it's pretty good: a classic Scotch-style whiskey with the oak-barrel flavor one expects from a mid-range Scotch. Best of all, the distillery and their store are only about 30 miles from where I sit, so it's easy to stock up. The company also has a line of canned ready-to-go concoctions.
So far, there has been no talk of changing the company's name to McKinley Spirits.
Yuengling. I learned about this beer back in my jacket-and-tie days while working on a prolonged project in New Jersey. I had heard rumors of this American lager for some years, and when I was preparing to go spend which was projected to be a year (and ended up being nearly two) in New Jersey, my son-in-law and his father both asked if I could bring back a couple of cases of Yuengling to Iowa for them. So I tried it, and yes, it's great stuff - a perfect beer to have ice-cold after a hot day fishing or just mooching around outdoors. And there is nothing more 'Merica than that.
Now, wines - I know nothing about them. My wife makes a dandelion wine that I like a lot, but I'm just not a wine guy. Some are, though, and here, at least, are 20 domestic American wines that are supposed to be pretty good - or, at least, that sell well.
So, if it comes down to a booze war with Europe, I'm feeling pretty good about our odds. We have a vast wealth of domestically produced adult beverages, and when it comes to booze, I suspect we can get along without Europe more easily than they can get along without us.
