Maker’s Mark

BOURBON FANS WORLDWIDE ANNUALLY TRAVERSE THE WINDING ROADS THAT LEAD TO LORETTO, KY., TO TOUR THE IDYLLIC SETTING OF MAKER’S MARK DISTILLERY.

STORY BY MICHAEL PRAMIK

COURTESY OF MAKER’S MARK

There are several ways to learn how Maker’s Mark has become one of the world’s best-selling bourbons. The most popular is the Maker’s Mark Tour, which showcases the distillery’s production process and company history. But there are several other options for those seeking a more informational or intimate visit to this beautiful slice of Kentucky countryside.

What’s not always obvious is that the distillery is part of a working farm. The owners raise Wagyu cattle, sheep, and bees, and there are pastures, orchards, a forest, and a limestone-filtered lake that extend far beyond the main grounds.

“The whole property is just on 1,300 acres here,” said Frank Krockenberger, Maker’s Mark’s senior manager of visitor experience and engagement. “The part you see as distillery is just the tip of the iceberg.”

The distillery offers two main tours and several other experiences. Some can take visitors to other parts of the property at varying times of the year. Tours change by the season, and not all visitor experiences are offered every day.

Here are a few things to know before you go: all Maker’s Mark tours must be booked in advance on the company’s website as there are no tickets sold on site. You’ll need to be at least 21 to go on any of the tours, all of which begin at the visitor’s center. Walking indoors and outdoors is required, and you’ll need to wear closed-toed shoes.

Tour The Distillery

The distillery’s most popular tour covers Maker’s Mark’s history and how bourbon is made. You’ll learn how Bill Samuels Sr. bought the former Burks’ Distillery in 1953 and began bottling bourbon five years later, with each bottle hand dipped into red wax as they are today. Your guide will no doubt cover the origin of the company’s name — a quality designation suggested by Samuels’ wife, Margie, an avid collector of pewter objects. (You’ll also learn why there’s a star and other markings on each label.)

The tour roams through the Maker’s Mark campus and ventures inside some of the production buildings. They include the limestone whiskey cellar where Maker’s 46 and the Private Selection line are aged. The tour includes guided tasting of products, which always includes the distillery’s core offerings: Maker’s Mark, Maker’s 46, and Maker’s Mark Cask Strength.

Behind The Bourbon

For a more comprehensive look, the Behind the Bourbon tour takes visitors behind the scenes to “pull the curtain back” on the Maker’s Mark production process. In addition to what’s on the Maker’s Mark Tour, you’ll see all aspects of how the distillery operates.

It includes a visit to the cistern room, where barrels are filled, and the Quart House, a building where Burks’ customers used to pull up their horses and wagons and buy bourbon. Samples on this tour are likely to include barrelstrength bourbon and sips of “white dog,” unaged whiskey straight off the still.

Oak Experience

Get a look at the distillery from another perspective with the Oak Experience, offered once a week during nicer weather. You’ll learn about the lifecycle of the oak tree, a requirement for bourbon production. Join a guide on a trek through the Maker’s Mark campus to plant an oak seedling.

Anatomy Of A Private Selection

Want to learn more about all that goes into crafting bourbon? Writer Andy Vance takes you through the private selection process at Marker’s Maker in his story, Anatomy of a Private Selection on OHLQ.com.

Cocktail Classes And More

The distillery offers cocktail making classes, seasonal workshops such as wreath-making, and what Krockenberger describes as “nature walks” to some of the farther reaches of the property. They include woodsy hikes in the fall, spring hikes through wildflowerfilled meadows, and visits to the spring-fed lake that supplies water for bourbon production.

Tours end at the gift shop. Guests are welcome to stroll the grounds and work their way up to the visitor center for a cocktail after the tour.

Behind the Bar