Maker's Mark Distillery still house near Loretto, Kentucky

Maker's Mark Distillery: History, Owner and Visitor Guide

19 hours ago

6 min read

Maker's Mark is a small batch bourbon made in Loretto, Kentucky, and owned today by Suntory Global Spirits. It is sold in squarish bottles sealed with red wax, and it is one of the few American whiskies spelled without the e.

At a glance

Location: Loretto, Kentucky, United States
Owner: Suntory Global Spirits (Beam Suntory was rebranded under this name in May 2024)
Founder: T. William "Bill" Samuels Sr., who bought Burks' Distillery for $35,000 on 1 October 1953
Standard bottling: 90 US proof (45% ABV)
Mash bill: 70% corn, 16% red winter wheat and 14% malted barley, with no rye
Heritage: National Register of Historic Places on 31 December 1974, National Historic Landmark on 16 December 1980 as Burks' Distillery
Visitors: tours are offered, and it is part of the American Whiskey Trail and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail

History in chapters

1953 to 1958: a new brand on an old site

Bill Samuels Sr. bought Burks' Distillery on 1 October 1953. Production began in 1954 and the first run was bottled in 1958 under the dipped red wax seal. His wife Marjorie "Margie" Samuels gave the whiskey its name, drew its label and thought up the wax dipping. It reached the market in 1959.

1960s to 1980s: recognition and sale

In the 1960s and 1970s it was marketed with the tag line "It tastes expensive ... and is." The distillery became the first in America recognised as a National Historic Landmark while its landmark buildings were in active production. The brand was sold to Hiram Walker and Sons in 1981, which Seagram acquired in 1987.

2001 to 2014: changing owners

Allied-Domecq acquired Maker's Mark in 2001 after Seagram's collapse. When Pernod Ricard bought Allied-Domecq in 2005, the brand was sold to Fortune Brands. Fortune Brands split in 2011 and its drinks business became Beam Inc. In January 2014 Beam Inc. announced its sale to Suntory, creating Beam Suntory. A major distillery expansion was announced in November 2015.

The people behind it

T. William "Bill" Samuels Sr.: founder
Marjorie "Margie" Samuels: named the whiskey, drew the label and devised the wax dip
Bill Samuels Jr.: oversaw production until he retired as president and chief executive at 70 in 2011
Rob Samuels: succeeded his father in April 2011
Pappy Van Winkle: owner of Stitzel-Weller, who is said to have given Samuels considerable help and recipes for wheated bourbon
Dave Pickerell: master distiller, died in November 2018 aged 62 and was called the Johnny Appleseed of American Whiskey

How it is made

Samuels allegedly developed seven candidate mash bills. With no time to age each one, he baked a loaf of bread from each recipe and judged the rye free one best. The bourbon is aged for around six years and bottled when the company's tasters agree it is ready. Barrels are rotated from the upper to the lower levels of the warehouses so that temperature differences even out. The company describes small batch as approximately 1,000 gallons or less, about 20 barrels, from around 200 bushels of grain.

Range

Maker's Mark: 45% ABV
Maker's 46: 47% ABV, finished with seared French oak staves added near the end of ageing
Cask Strength: first available at the distillery gift shop in 2014, between 53% and 58% ABV depending on batch, released globally in July 2016
Maker's Mark 101: 101 US proof, first sold in duty free airport shops in 2018 and at the distillery from June 2019
Mint julep release with green wax on the neck, seasonal and limited
As of 2021 a bottling is available at up to 57% ABV (114 proof)

Limited editions

Keeneland series from 1997, with a white label, dark green horse and green wax. Later bottles honour Secretariat (2003), Seattle Slew (2004), Affirmed (2005), American Pharoah (2016) and Justify (2018)
University of Kentucky bottles, the first in 1993, including Wildcat Bottle (2001), Joe B. Hall (2008 and 2016), John Calipari (2010) and Adolph Rupp (2015). Bottles are signed at Keeneland by the featured personality and a member of the Samuels family
A University of Louisville bottle featuring football coach Charlie Strong from 20 July 2012

Awards

Wikipedia records a gold medal at the 2010 San Francisco World Spirit Ratings Competition and a score of 90 to 95 from Wine Enthusiast in 2007.

News and controversies

9 February 2013: the company emailed customers about lowering the strength from 90 to 84 US proof (42% ABV), citing supply, which would have stretched inventory by about 6%. After strong negative reaction it reversed the decision on 17 February 2013. Some overseas markets such as Australia continue to sell it at 40%
January 2014: sale of Beam Inc. to Suntory announced
May 2024: Beam Suntory renamed Suntory Global Spirits

Visiting

The distillery offers tours. Maker's Mark also opened branded Bourbon House and Lounge venues in Louisville (late 2004 or early 2005), Kansas City (2008) and Shelbyville, Indiana (March 2009). Check the official Maker's Mark website for current tour times and whether those venues remain open.

A note on conflicting claims

Buffalo Trace claims to be the oldest continuously operating distillery in the United States. Burks' Distillery, now Maker's Mark, has origins going back to 1805 according to its landmark citation and is listed by Guinness as the oldest operating bourbon distillery. We report both claims.

Maker's Mark FAQ

Who owns Maker's Mark?

Suntory Global Spirits, formerly Beam Suntory.

Why is it spelled whisky?

Wikipedia notes it shares the Scottish spelling with George Dickel and Old Forester, unlike most American producers.

Does Maker's Mark contain rye?

No. The mash bill is 70% corn, 16% red winter wheat and 14% malted barley.

How long is it aged?

Around six years, bottled when the tasters agree it is ready.

What is the red wax?

Margie Samuels devised the dipped wax seal. Each bottle is sealed with it.

Did Maker's Mark ever lower its ABV?

It announced a cut to 84 proof in February 2013 and reversed it within eight days.

Can you visit?

Yes, it offers tours and is on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

What the official site adds

The official Maker's Mark pages give the standard bottling as Maker's Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon at 45% alcohol by volume, which is 90 proof (makersmark.com product page and footer). The company states it is made with soft red winter wheat instead of the usual rye, and says founder Bill Samuels Sr. tested mash bills by baking them as bread.

Production claims come from the company. It says every barrel is rotated by hand and the bourbon is aged to taste, not time, in solar powered warehouses, and that each bottle is still hand dipped in red wax at the distillery in Loretto. It also says Star Hill Farm gives it the only distillery with its own water source and watershed. Treat these as brand statements.

The family section credits Margie Samuels with the bottle shape, label, red wax and the Maker's Mark name, and with inventing bourbon tourism. Rob Samuels is named as Managing Director. The site describes the legal entity as Maker's Mark Distillery, PBC, Loretto, KY, and links to Suntory Global Spirits in its footer.

The classic page records Maker's Mark at number 6 in the Drinks International Most Admired Whiskies list, 2025 edition.

Visiting, from the official site

The classic Maker's Mark tour lasts about an hour and fifteen minutes. Parking is free. A Homeplace Bar offers grab and go food from 10:00am to 4:00pm daily. Other experiences vary in length and are booked on the official site, so check prices and times there before travelling (seen 20 October 2026). The Ambassador programme puts a member's name on a barrel and includes a chance to hand dip a bottle from it.

Sources

Sources: Wikipedia article on Maker's Mark (read 19 October 2026), plus the official pages listed below (read 20 October 2026).

Official sources read on 20 October 2026: makersmark.com/story (Our Story), makersmark.com/bourbons/makers-mark (Classic page), makersmark.com/distillery/visit-us (Visit Us).

Gaps: ABVs for the 46, Cask Strength and 101 were not opened. The draft earlier says about six years of ageing from Wikipedia, while the official site says age to taste, not time. Mash bill percentages and the current owner line come from Wikipedia and the Suntory footer link, not a company statement. Tour prices were not shown.