After a decadelong dream by Amir Peay to revive and relaunch historic James E. Pepper Distilling Co. in Lexington, Kentucky, the brand dating back to the American Revolution had exploded not just in U.S. markets when former President Donald Trump took office but also overseas.

“We were growing really fast,” said Peay. By 2018, European sales accounted for 10% of his bottom line, and he set a goal of 20%. “We invested a lot of time and money and effort to grow in 2018, and we had no reason to think we wouldn’t. I mean, American whiskey was growing,” he said.