“Any time you’re in the neighborhood, stop by and visit us at our distillery,” reads the open invitation on the label of every Maker’s Mark bottle. But have you ever thought about what it’d actually be like to make the journey to little Loretto, KY, to see this famous bourbon birthplace?
That illustration of a farmhouse distillery atop the invitation paints a quaint image of what you might think Maker’s Mark looked like back in the day. But by now, it must have moved its operations into a cold, industrial factory with all the bells and whistles a modern distillery needs, right? After all, how else does the business get its beloved red wax-sealed bottles to nearly every bar and spirits store in the country?
Surprisingly, Maker’s Mark is still producing bourbon the same way it always has—slowly, and with lots of hands-on involvement from spirited workers. And while the grounds haven’t changed much since the company was founded in 1953, they have a lot more for visitors to see, do and taste than ever before. It’s part of eighth-generation bourbon maker Rob Samuels’s mission to transform the distillery from a place where whiskey wonks can geek out to a destination rich in art, culture and American history. The National Historic Landmark is nothing like you’d expect from a such a large-scale distillery.
Here’s why a visit to the Maker’s Mark distillery belongs on the bucket list of every traveler—bourbon drinker or not.
The property is absolutely gorgeous.
The drive from Louisville to Maker’s Mark has a whole lot of nothing (least of all, cell phone service!). But once you get there, you’ll feel like you stepped on to a sprawling natural oasis with rolling green hills, a covered bridge over the creek, a glistening spring-fed lake, landscaped walkways and lush scenery. Rather than big warehouses, rustic barns are where you’ll find staff bottling, labeling, sealing and offering tastings of the bourbon. Walking around the grounds feels a lot more like a stroll through a nature reserve than the industrial facility you might have imagined.
It’s got museum-quality art.
Art buffs, eat your heart out: Maker’s Mark has some seriously impressive art scattered around the property. You can’t miss the sea urchin-like chandelier, created by famed glassblower Dale Chihuly, that hangs above the welcome desk. He also designed “The Spirit of the Maker,” an enchanting 36-foot-long canopy installation that combines the artist’s signature motifs with colors that capture the qualities of Maker’s Mark (red for that wax seal, blue for the limestone-filtered water and amber for—you guessed it—the bourbon).
Cool glass sculptures are just the start of the art on display at this distillery, though. The welcome center features two of artist Tracy Pennington’s vibrant, floor-to-ceiling mosaic works that celebrate whiskey, as well as artist Michael Flohr’s moody oil painting of a Maker’s Mark bottle (bought by Samuels on a whim after a friend texted him a photo of it). The tasting rooms also feature paintings, photos and mixed-media works that draw your attention to moments throughout the distilling process. They turn tasting sessions from a treat for the palette to a feast for the senses.
They’re still doing things the old way.
How does a distiller that produces around 2 million cases of bourbon annually still have the nerve to call itself a “small-batch” producer? Well, it starts by hanging on to old-school equipment and doing things the traditional way. The Maker’s Mark distillery uses its original copper stills (along with a few replicas designed with the same steampunk splendor). While much of the fermentation now happens in 55 easy-to-clean stainless steel containers, some of it still occurs in massive cypress fermenters from decades past (you can see them on a tour). A panel of 28 expert tasters is responsible for testing samples throughout the process to ensure every batch of bourbon matches the signature flavor profile of Maker’s Mark. Each of the 525-pound barrels are rotated by hand to ensure they get adequate exposure to both hot and cold temperatures. And the bourbon is aged to taste—not to year—which is why it says “fully matured” on the bottle.
Just as interesting is process of getting the bourbon ready for shipping. Staff trim some 65,000 labels every day using an antique press from 1935. In the bottling room, workers hand dip each bottle in a vat of 400-degree red wax. Think you have the skills to get those beautiful red tendrils dripping down the neck of the bottle? You can try dipping your own bottle in the gift shop. It’s harder than it looks.
It serves tasty farm-to-table fare.
Chef-in-residence Newman Miller has traveled the world, from Chicago to Scotland, perfecting his culinary skills. But at Star Hill Provisions, the on-site restaurant at Maker’s Mark, Miller cooks elevated versions of the foods served right in the area in which he grew up, just 10 miles away from the distillery. The menu is full of fine local fare, like pulled pork, hot brown sandwiches and benedictine sandwiches (a cucumber cream cheese spread on wheat toast), that will keep you full as you make your way down the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. But more interesting than the meals are the ingredients themselves: Miller boasts about buying his black walnuts from an octogenarian who still counts and bags her nuts in her driveway and scouting out the best chicken farmer in the area. As you’d expect from a restaurant at a distillery, the drinks are nothing to scoff at. Whiskey-lovers will dig the Star Hill Old Fashioned, while those who have yet to develop a palette for bourbon might find themselves rethinking their opinion on dark spirits once they try the Maker’s and Ale-8-One Slushy. It goes down entirely too easily.
The distillery kitty will charm you.
No trip to Maker’s Mark is complete without giving Whisky Jean Samuels, the resident kitty adopted from a nearby shelter, a few pats on the head. She tends to hang out in the back of the visitor center, and as long as it’s not breakfast time, she’ll give you plenty of affection. Consider the animal love just one more way Maker’s Mark makes the place feel like home to anyone happens to be in the neighborhood.
Want to check out the Maker’s Mark distillery for yourself? Sign up for a tour. They’d love to have you.
