Maker's Mark
Encyclopedia
Maker’s Mark is a small batch
bourbon whiskey
that is distilled
in Loretto, Kentucky
by Beam Inc.
. It is sold in distinctively squarish bottles, which are sealed with red wax. The distillery offers tours, and is part of the American Whiskey Trail
and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
The first bottle of Maker's Mark was bottled in 1958 and featured the brand's distinctive dipped red wax seal. Maker's Mark holds a U.S. trademark (serial number 73526578) on the wax seal of their bottles.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Maker's Mark was widely marketed with the tag line, "It tastes expensive ... and is."
The distillery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on December 31, 1974, and designated a National Historic Landmark
on December 16, 1980, listed as "Burks' Distillery". It was the first distillery in America to be so recognized where the landmark buildings were in active use for distilling. Other historic American distilleries in current use include the Labrot & Graham's Old Oscar Pepper Distillery
(now the Woodford Reserve Distillery
) and the George T. Stagg Distillery (now the Buffalo Trace Distillery
, which is the oldest operating distilling site in the United States).
Maker's Mark was sold to Hiram Walker & Sons
in 1981, which sold it to distillery giant UK
-based Allied Domecq
in 1987, which in turn sold it to Deerfield, Illinois
-based Fortune Brands
in 2005. In 2011 Fortune Brands split up, selling its golf related business in July, then dividing the remaining company into Beam Inc.
(BEAM) and Fortune Brands Home & Security
(FBHS) in October.
After the brand's creation by Bill Samuels Sr., its production was overseen by his son Bill Samuels Jr. until 2011 when he announced his retirement as president and CEO of Maker's Mark at the age of 70. His son Rob Samuels was announced to become his successor, effective 15 April 2011.
Maker's Mark is sold in squarish bottles which are sealed with red wax. T. William Samuels' wife, Marjorie "Margie" Samuels, gave the whisky its name, drew its label, and thought up the wax dipping that gives the bottle its distinctive look. It was introduced to the market in 1959. Three varieties are marketed; the original, a mint julep flavor with green wax on the neck released seasonally in limited amounts, and 46, a variety flavored by introducing seared French oak slats into the traditional charred white oak barrel toward the end of its aging. The original is bottled at 90 U.S. proof (45% alcohol by volume).
Maker's Mark is unusual in that no rye is used as part of the mash. Instead red winter wheat is used, along with corn (the predominant grain) and malted barley. During the planning phase of Maker's Mark, Samuels developed seven candidate mash bills for the new bourbon. As he did not have time to distill and age each one for tasting, he instead made a loaf of bread from each recipe and the one with no rye was judged the best tasting.
Maker's Mark is marketed as a small batch
Bourbon. Most producers of so-called small batch Bourbons do not clarify exactly what they mean by the term. The producer of Maker's Mark says that the traditional definition is "A bourbon that is produced/distilled in small quantities of approximately 1,000 gallons or less (20 barrels) from a mash bill
of around 200 bushels of grain".Bourbon – Maker's Mark, Edencroft Fine Wines.
While the spelling "whisky" is more commonly associated with Scotch
, Maker's Mark is one of the few American-made whiskies to be labeled using the Scottish
spelling ("whisky" as opposed to "whiskey" with an "e"). The majority of American distillers and the American general public tend to spell the word with the "e", although the United States law and some other brands (such as George Dickel
and Old Forester
) also use the spelling "whisky". The American distillers who use the spelling without an "e", such as Maker's Mark, tend to have a Scottish heritage or a marketing strategy of associating their product with the Scottish tradition.
entertainment complex in downtown Louisville, Kentucky
. The lounge opened in October 2004 with the grand opening of the Fourth Street Live! complex. It is decorated with backlit Maker's Mark bottles and the traditional Maker's Mark wax dripping from the ceiling. While the lounge focuses on Maker's Mark, it also features other bourbons from each of Kentucky
's distilleries. The menu was designed by Chef Al Paris of the famous Zanzibar Blue
restaurant in Philadelphia.
In May 2008, the Maker's Mark Bourbon House & Lounge opened in Kansas City, Missouri
's downtown Power & Light District. In March, 2009, the third Maker's Mark Bourbon House & Lounge opened at the Indiana Live Casino in Shelbyville, Indiana
just outside Indianapolis
. Maker's Mark Indianapolis features 200 wines by the bottle and 20 by the glass, and has a bourbon list with 63 varieties.
competitions. Its primary bourbon earned a gold medal at the 2010 San Francisco World Spirit Ratings Competition and a score of 90-95 from Wine Enthusiast in 2007. The Maker's Mark 46—which benefits from longer aging and exposure to toasted French oak staves—has earned similar ratings.
Maker's Mark began special edition bottles featuring Keeneland bottles for horses in 1997. The label was white with a dark green horse and green wax. Other Keeneland bottles include famous Derby winners such as Secretariat
(2003), Seattle Slew
(2004) and Affirmed
(2005).
personalities on its University of Kentucky
line of limited release bottles. Each bottle can be signed for free by the personality that was selected for the bottle. The signing party is held at Keeneland
horse track in the university's home city of Lexington
.
The first University of Kentucky
special edition bottle was produced in 1993. In celebration of the 1996 NCAA Men's Basketball Champions Maker's Mark printed a bottle that had a denim background with white type. The team's coach at the time, Rick Pitino
, signed the bottle.
Other bottles include: Wildcat Bottle (2001), Bill Keightley
(2002), Rupp's Runts
(2006), The Unforgettables
(2007), Joe B. Hall
(2008), Rich Brooks
(2009), and John Calipari
(2010).
Small batch
Small batch whiskey is a term usually referring to bourbon or rye whiskey, and denotes a whiskey produced by mixing the contents of a relatively small number of selected barrels....
bourbon whiskey
Bourbon whiskey
Bourbon is a type of American whiskey – a barrel-aged distilled spirit made primarily from corn. The name of the spirit derives from its historical association with an area known as Old Bourbon, around what is now Bourbon County, Kentucky . It has been produced since the 18th century...
that is distilled
Distillation
Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
in Loretto, Kentucky
Loretto, Kentucky
Loretto is a city in Marion County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 623 at the 2000 census. The tiny city is best known as the home of the Maker's Mark bourbon distillery.-Geography:Loretto is located at ....
by Beam Inc.
Beam Inc.
Beam Inc. is a spirits company established on October 4, 2011 from the remainder of the Fortune Brands holding company after it sold and spun off various other product lines to form a business focused exclusively on spirits and directly related products...
. It is sold in distinctively squarish bottles, which are sealed with red wax. The distillery offers tours, and is part of the American Whiskey Trail
American Whiskey Trail
The American Whiskey Trail is an initiative of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States that promotes the history and cultural heritage of distilled beverages in the United States.-History of whiskey in the United States:...
and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
History
Production of Maker's Mark started in 1954, after its originator, T. William "Bill" Samuels Sr., purchased the distillery known as "Burks' Distillery" in Loretto, Kentucky for $35,000.The first bottle of Maker's Mark was bottled in 1958 and featured the brand's distinctive dipped red wax seal. Maker's Mark holds a U.S. trademark (serial number 73526578) on the wax seal of their bottles.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Maker's Mark was widely marketed with the tag line, "It tastes expensive ... and is."
The distillery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on December 31, 1974, and designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
on December 16, 1980, listed as "Burks' Distillery". It was the first distillery in America to be so recognized where the landmark buildings were in active use for distilling. Other historic American distilleries in current use include the Labrot & Graham's Old Oscar Pepper Distillery
Labrot & Graham's Old Oscar Pepper Distillery
Labrot & Graham Distillery, also known as Old Oscar Pepper Distillery, WD-01, is the former name of a historic whiskey distillery near Frankfort, Kentucky, now known as The Woodford Reserve Distillery. It makes Woodford Reserve, a brand of small batch bourbon whiskey.The distillery was declared a...
(now the Woodford Reserve Distillery
Woodford Reserve
Woodford Reserve is a brand of premium small batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey produced by the Brown-Forman Corporation. It is distilled at the company's Woodford Reserve Distillery, and marketed under the former company name for the distillery, Labrot & Graham. The distillery is located in...
) and the George T. Stagg Distillery (now the Buffalo Trace Distillery
Buffalo Trace Distillery
Buffalo Trace Distillery is a distillery located in Frankfort, Kentucky. It has historically been known by several names, including most notably, the George T. Stagg Distillery and the O.F.C. Distillery. Its namesake bourbon brand, Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey, was introduced...
, which is the oldest operating distilling site in the United States).
Maker's Mark was sold to Hiram Walker & Sons
Hiram Walker
Hiram Walker was an American grocer and distiller, and the eponym of the famous distillery in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Walker was born in East Douglas, Massachusetts, and moved to Detroit in the mid-1830s...
in 1981, which sold it to distillery giant UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-based Allied Domecq
Allied Domecq
Allied Domecq PLC was an international company, headquartered in Bristol, UK that operated spirits, wine, and quick service restaurant businesses. It was once a FTSE 100 Index constituent but has been acquired by Pernod Ricard.-History:...
in 1987, which in turn sold it to Deerfield, Illinois
Deerfield, Illinois
Deerfield is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States and is located approximately 25 miles north of Chicago, Illinois. A portion of the village is in Cook County, Illinois, United States...
-based Fortune Brands
Fortune Brands
Fortune Brands was a holding company founded in 1969 as American Brands and later renamed in 1997 and split apart in 2011. The corporate headquarters was in Deerfield, Illinois in the United States. The company historically had a significant diversity of product offerings...
in 2005. In 2011 Fortune Brands split up, selling its golf related business in July, then dividing the remaining company into Beam Inc.
Beam Inc.
Beam Inc. is a spirits company established on October 4, 2011 from the remainder of the Fortune Brands holding company after it sold and spun off various other product lines to form a business focused exclusively on spirits and directly related products...
(BEAM) and Fortune Brands Home & Security
Fortune Brands Home & Security
Fortune Brands Home & Security is a maker of home fixtures and hardware. The company's product lines include Master Lock, MasterBrand cabinets, Moen faucets, Simonton windows and Therma-Tru entry door systems...
(FBHS) in October.
After the brand's creation by Bill Samuels Sr., its production was overseen by his son Bill Samuels Jr. until 2011 when he announced his retirement as president and CEO of Maker's Mark at the age of 70. His son Rob Samuels was announced to become his successor, effective 15 April 2011.
About the Bourbon
Maker's Mark is aged for around 6 to 7½ years, being bottled and marketed when the company's tasters agree that it is ready. Maker's Mark is one of the few distillers to rotate the barrels from the upper to the lower levels of the aging warehouses during the aging process to even out the differences in temperature during the process. The upper floors are exposed to the greatest temperature variations during the year, so rotating the barrels ensures that the bourbon in all the barrels have the same quality and taste.Maker's Mark is sold in squarish bottles which are sealed with red wax. T. William Samuels' wife, Marjorie "Margie" Samuels, gave the whisky its name, drew its label, and thought up the wax dipping that gives the bottle its distinctive look. It was introduced to the market in 1959. Three varieties are marketed; the original, a mint julep flavor with green wax on the neck released seasonally in limited amounts, and 46, a variety flavored by introducing seared French oak slats into the traditional charred white oak barrel toward the end of its aging. The original is bottled at 90 U.S. proof (45% alcohol by volume).
Maker's Mark is unusual in that no rye is used as part of the mash. Instead red winter wheat is used, along with corn (the predominant grain) and malted barley. During the planning phase of Maker's Mark, Samuels developed seven candidate mash bills for the new bourbon. As he did not have time to distill and age each one for tasting, he instead made a loaf of bread from each recipe and the one with no rye was judged the best tasting.
Maker's Mark is marketed as a small batch
Small batch
Small batch whiskey is a term usually referring to bourbon or rye whiskey, and denotes a whiskey produced by mixing the contents of a relatively small number of selected barrels....
Bourbon. Most producers of so-called small batch Bourbons do not clarify exactly what they mean by the term. The producer of Maker's Mark says that the traditional definition is "A bourbon that is produced/distilled in small quantities of approximately 1,000 gallons or less (20 barrels) from a mash bill
Mash ingredients
Mash ingredients, mash bill, or grain bill are those materials used in brewing from which a wort can be obtained for fermenting into alcohol...
of around 200 bushels of grain".Bourbon – Maker's Mark, Edencroft Fine Wines.
While the spelling "whisky" is more commonly associated with Scotch
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
, Maker's Mark is one of the few American-made whiskies to be labeled using the Scottish
Scottish English
Scottish English refers to the varieties of English spoken in Scotland. It may or may not be considered distinct from the Scots language. It is always considered distinct from Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic language....
spelling ("whisky" as opposed to "whiskey" with an "e"). The majority of American distillers and the American general public tend to spell the word with the "e", although the United States law and some other brands (such as George Dickel
George Dickel
George Dickel is the name of a brand of Tennessee whisky distilled and aged in Cascade Hollow, Tennessee, near Tullahoma and bottled in Stamford, Connecticut and Canada. The brand is now owned by Diageo PLC. Four whiskies are produced at the George Dickel Distillery: George Dickel Cascade Hollow,...
and Old Forester
Old Forester
Old Forester is a brand of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey produced by the Brown-Forman Corporation. It has been continuously on the market longer than any other brand of bourbon , and it was the first bourbon sold exclusively in sealed bottles...
) also use the spelling "whisky". The American distillers who use the spelling without an "e", such as Maker's Mark, tend to have a Scottish heritage or a marketing strategy of associating their product with the Scottish tradition.
Bourbon House & Lounge
In addition to the distillery in Loretto, Kentucky, there are also branded restaurants, the first of which is located in the Fourth Street Live!Fourth Street Live!
Fourth Street Live! is a entertainment and retail complex located on 4th Street, between Liberty and Muhammad Ali Boulevard, in Downtown Louisville, Kentucky. It is owned and was developed by the Cordish Company; it was designed by Louisville architects, Bravura Corporation...
entertainment complex in downtown Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. The lounge opened in October 2004 with the grand opening of the Fourth Street Live! complex. It is decorated with backlit Maker's Mark bottles and the traditional Maker's Mark wax dripping from the ceiling. While the lounge focuses on Maker's Mark, it also features other bourbons from each of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
's distilleries. The menu was designed by Chef Al Paris of the famous Zanzibar Blue
Zanzibar Blue
Zanzibar Blue was a jazz club located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Known for its live jazz each night and for Sunday brunch, it branded itself as "Philadelphia's Premier Jazz Club". Owned by brothers Robert and Benjamin Jr. Bynum, the club was located in Center City, Philadelphia below the...
restaurant in Philadelphia.
In May 2008, the Maker's Mark Bourbon House & Lounge opened in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
's downtown Power & Light District. In March, 2009, the third Maker's Mark Bourbon House & Lounge opened at the Indiana Live Casino in Shelbyville, Indiana
Shelbyville, Indiana
Shelbyville is a city in Addison Township, Shelby County, Indiana, United States. The population was 17,951 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Shelby County...
just outside Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. Maker's Mark Indianapolis features 200 wines by the bottle and 20 by the glass, and has a bourbon list with 63 varieties.
Expert ratings
Maker's Mark bourbon has earned solid marks at international Spirit ratingsSpirit ratings
With a growing number of microdistilleries and an expanding number of offerings from large corporate entities, a number of institutions have arisen to provide professional evaluations of individual spirits...
competitions. Its primary bourbon earned a gold medal at the 2010 San Francisco World Spirit Ratings Competition and a score of 90-95 from Wine Enthusiast in 2007. The Maker's Mark 46—which benefits from longer aging and exposure to toasted French oak staves—has earned similar ratings.
Limited Edition Collector's Sets
Keeneland Collector's SetsMaker's Mark began special edition bottles featuring Keeneland bottles for horses in 1997. The label was white with a dark green horse and green wax. Other Keeneland bottles include famous Derby winners such as Secretariat
Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby , and the Belmont Stakes —records that still stand today.Secretariat was sired by Bold...
(2003), Seattle Slew
Seattle Slew
Seattle Slew was an American Thoroughbred race horse who won the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in 1977, the tenth of eleven horses to accomplish the feat. He remains the only horse to win the Triple Crown while undefeated. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S...
(2004) and Affirmed
Affirmed
Affirmed was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the eleventh and most recent winner of the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing...
(2005).
University of Kentucky
Maker's Mark has featured several University of Kentucky sportsKentucky Wildcats
The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky , a founding member of the Southeastern Conference...
personalities on its University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
line of limited release bottles. Each bottle can be signed for free by the personality that was selected for the bottle. The signing party is held at Keeneland
Keeneland
Keeneland is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and sales complex in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. Operated by the Keeneland Association, Inc., it is also known for its reference library on the sport, which contains more than 10,000 volumes, an extensive videocassette collection, and a substantial...
horse track in the university's home city of Lexington
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
.
The first University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
special edition bottle was produced in 1993. In celebration of the 1996 NCAA Men's Basketball Champions Maker's Mark printed a bottle that had a denim background with white type. The team's coach at the time, Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino is an American basketball coach. Since 2001, he has been the head coach at the University of Louisville. He has also served as head coach at Boston University, Providence College and the University of Kentucky, leading that program to the NCAA championship in 1996...
, signed the bottle.
Other bottles include: Wildcat Bottle (2001), Bill Keightley
Bill Keightley
William Bond Keightley was the equipment manager for the University of Kentucky men's basketball team, a position he held for 48 years. Known affectionately to most as "Mr. Wildcat," players referred to him as "Mr...
(2002), Rupp's Runts
1965–66 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team
The 1965–66 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Kentucky in NCAA competition in the 1965–66 season. Coached by Adolph Rupp, the team had no player taller than 6'5"/1.96 m—unusually small even for that era—and became known as "Rupp's Runts"...
(2006), The Unforgettables
1991–92 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team
The 1991–92 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Kentucky in NCAA competition in the 1991–92 season. Coached by Rick Pitino, the Wildcats were, then as now, a member of the Southeast Conference and played their home games at Rupp Arena.This season's team is one of...
(2007), Joe B. Hall
Joe B. Hall
-See also:*Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball*NCAA Men's Division I Final Four appearances by coaches- External links :* at unofficial Fan Site* * *...
(2008), Rich Brooks
Rich Brooks
Rich Brooks is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Oregon from 1977 to 1994 and at the University of Kentucky from 2003 to 2009, compiling a career college football record of 128–154–4. Brooks was also the head coach of the...
(2009), and John Calipari
John Calipari
John Calipari is an American basketball coach. Since April 2009, he has been the men's head coach at the University of Kentucky....
(2010).