Maker's Mark

Easily one of the most recognisable bourbons, thanks to its distinctive red wax top, history suggests Maker’s Mark was more of a fortunate accident. Back in the 1950s, Bill Samuels Sr., was researching an old family recipe that was over 150 years old. This provided the inspiration to experiment with grains, many heirloom varieties that were no longer used. To develop the taste of Maker’s he turned to bread to and winter wheat to finalise his recipe. The distillery is located in Loretto, Kentucky and is well known for sticking to what works, while rivals have expanded their range considerably, Maker’s focuses on a small range. This includes its iconic whisky and being very methodical when it comes to releasing anything new. Their ‘whisky’ is spelt without an ‘e’ to acknowledge the family roots that stretch back to Scotland and historically the brand was seen as being premium due to its minimum 4 years of maturation. It is a distinctive heritage, matched by its taste and exterior.