The history
The Maker's Mark Distillery was founded in 1889 by the Samuels family and has been run by them for five generations.
After the closure of the distillery because of prohibition in America and World War II, Bill Samuels senior wanted to do what his family loved most - produce whiskey.
Thus, Bill Samuels senior in 1953 branded the over 170-year-old family recipe, he wanted to create a whiskey that stands out clearly from the other whiskey manufacturers.
They say Bill's wife Margie made Bill aware of the red winter wheat that became the key to success. One year later, in 1954, the first batch of Maker's Mark Bourbon was born. An unexpected report in the Wall Street Journal helped make the whiskey world-famous.
In 1981, the distillery was sold to Hiram-Walker & Sons, which in turn were taken over only six years later by Allied Domecq. Allied Domecq sold Maker's Mark 2005 to Fortune Brands. In 2011, Fortune Brands split up and the beverage division became Beam, which in turn was bought by the Japanese Suntory Group in 2014. Since the owner's name is BeamSuntory.
However, the management of the company is still in the hands of the Samuels.
|
Country / Region |
USA/ Kentucky |
|
Status |
In operation |
|
Owner |
Beam Suntory |
|
Address |
Maker's Mark Distillery Inc. 3350 Burks Spring Rd, Loretto KY 40037, USA |
|
Contact |
Tel.: 001 502 865 2099 |
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Founding year |
1889/ 1953 |
The production
The mash of the Maker's Mark consists of 70% corn, the remaining 30% of barley and red winter wheat. Unlike the other distilleries in Kentucky, no rye is used in the manufacturing process. To preserve the grain, it is not ground but squeezed in a roller mill, as this procedure is gentler.
As America's smallest distillery, Maker's Mark is still committed to a craft tradition today. Each bottle of Maker's Mark Whiskey is unique: dipped by hand in hot wax, it receives the unmistakable red neck with the differently solidified drops each time.
The storage
The distillate is aged for 6 years in oak barrels. Maker's Mark pays special attention to the selection of barrels. To deprive them of the tannins, they are stored outdoors for one year. After bottling, the barrels change places in the warehouse several times to ensure even taste.
