Maker’s Mark Distillery in Loretto, Kentucky has been making the same whiskey since it filled its first barrel on February 26, 1954. If you look close on a visit to the distillery you can see that actual barrel sitting inside the stillhouse to this day. Every holiday season for the past several years Maker’s Mark decorates the distillery grounds for Christmas to welcome guests not just to one of the oldest distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail but to one of the most beautiful distilleries in the United States.
The Maker’s Mark French Connection
This holiday season Maker’s Mark welcomed legendary Bar Hemingway bartender Colin P. Field all the way from Paris, France to mix up some seasonal cocktails using Maker’s 46 aptly named ‘Le 46’. Maker’s Mark 46 is created using fully matured Maker’s and then finishing it with 10 French Oak Staves, giving it bolder notes of caramel and vanilla and a balanced complexity.
“Not only does Colin create impeccable cocktails, but he is also a fantastic storyteller and the consummate host,” said Rob Samuels, eighth generation whisky maker and managing director, Maker’s Mark. “We are delighted to welcome Colin back to the homeplace of Maker’s Mark and excited to share the exceptional experience he’ll create with our community of bourbon lovers.”
Holiday Sip & Stroll Tour at Maker’s Mark
We had the opportunity to visit the distillery during a special after-hours tour of the distillery under the holiday lights where guests enjoyed warm bourbon cocktails, seasonal snacks and the opportunity to purchase and hand dip a bottle of Maker’s Mark in the brand’s signature red wax.
“As a barman who deeply appreciates the artistry of fine spirits, Maker’s Mark 46 stands out to me for its unique character and complexity thanks to the French oak finishing. It beautifully marries the richness of tradition with a modern twist,” said Fields. “I’m thrilled to craft this pop-up experience, where I can share my passion for this exceptional bourbon and celebrate its extraordinary flavor.”
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Maker’s Mark® is the iconic handmade Kentucky bourbon driven by a vision for better flavor and a better world crafted with 70% corn, 16% soft winter wheat, and 14% malted barley. Maker’s Mark began with the innovative spirit of Margie and Bill Samuels, Sr., who in 1953, fulfilled their dream to create a delicious bourbon without the bite, using soft red winter wheat instead of rye to enhance the softness, sweetness, and signature creaminess. Highly desired around the world, Maker’s Mark is handmade, hand-dipped in our signature red wax, and every barrel continues to be rotated by hand and is aged to taste not time.
Always true to the founders’ vision, Maker’s Mark continues to shape the brand’s future through purposeful, flavor-driven innovation. In recent years, the brand has introduced thoughtful, super-premium expressions to its portfolio, including Maker’s Mark 46, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength, and Maker’s Mark Cellar-Aged.
Advancing its mission to cultivate bourbon that betters the world, while crafting the most flavorful product possible for consumers, Maker’s Mark is the largest bourbon distillery in the world to achieve B Corp Certification and the first distillery to achieve Regenified Certification, a reflection of the brand’s dedication to sustainable agriculture practices at Star Hill Farm, home to the Maker’s Mark Distillery.
Related Story
– Maker’s Mark Distillery Announces the 9th Master Distiller in the Brands Iconic History Nov 2024
– Maker’s Mark Releases its Oldest Ever 12- & 13-Year-Old Cask Strength ‘Cellar Aged’ Kentucky Bourbon, Sep 2024
– Maker’s Mark Fills the World’s First Barrel of Bourbon with ‘Certified Regenified’ Corn and Wheat, Dec 2023
– For the 1st Time in 70 Years, Maker’s Mark Launches an 11- & 12-Year-Old Cask Strength ‘Cellar Aged’ Kentucky Bourbon, Aug 2023
Learn more about Maker’s Mark Distillery.
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