Episode 104: Maker's Mark

Liquor and Liqueur Connoisseur

Episode 104 features Maker's Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky. Bottled in 750ml at 45% ABV, or 90 proof. It retails for about $28.

Enjoy this episode with a Maker's Mark Old Fashioned!

The official website for Maker's Mark: https://www.makersmark.com/

Brief Historical Timeline:

• 1840 - T.W. Samuels erects the family's first commercial distillery in Kentucky
• 1943 - Bill Samuels gets out of his family business, for awhile
• 1953 - Bill Samuels founds Maker's Mark
• 1958 - The first bottles of Maker's Mark are hand dipped in red sealing wax
• 1973 - Maker's Mark hires Kentucky ad agency Doe Anderson
• 1975 - Bill Samuels, Jr. becomes President and CEO of Maker's Mark
• 1980 - Maker's Mark is featured on the front page of The Wall Street Journal
• 1981 - Hiram Walker buys Maker's Mark
• 2004 - A second still is added to increase production
• 2005 - Pernod Ricard (who ended up with Maker's Mark through acquisitions) sells the brand to Fortune Brands, which would become part of Beam Suntory
• 2011 - Maker's Mark sells 1 million 9-liter case equivalents for the first time
• 2011 - Rob Samuels, grandson of the founder, takes over when his father Bill Samuels, Jr. retires
• 2013 - Proof is reduced 3%, but only for a moment
• 2015 - A $67 million investment includes a third still and new warehouses
• 2019 - Maker's Mark sells 2.4 mill cases

Key Cocktails:

Use as you would any quality bourbon. I'm drinking it neat, but try it in an Old Fashioned or Manhattan.

References:

Book: Maker's Mark - My Autobiography by Bill Samuels, Jr. published in 2000

Wikipedia Article on Maker's Mark

Brand History Article on The Spirits Business

Drink Spirits Story on Maker's Mark Whisky

Maker's Mark on The Spirits Educator

Vinepair.com Article on Hops Used in Production

Vinepair.com Article on Maker' Mark

Doe Anderson Ad Agency for Maker's Mark

Press Release on Bill Samuels, Jr. Retiring via the Wayback Machine

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