The Maker’s Mark brand was a vision before it became a bourbon. It started with a ceremonial burning of an old family recipe – and from this Bill Samuels, Sr worked to create a bourbon without the burn.
The accounts and statements on this site form the DNA of the Maker's Mark brand. These truths shape the brand and help to define its future direction.
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THE DECK
MOMENTS
Bill Sr had the taste vision. He engineered a process, through trial and error, to achieve that vision. Margie embodied the creative vision, bringing the liquid to life as a unique character with style.
Together they made their mark and a better bourbon was born.As the brand grew, through discovering the true quality of the bourbon on the palette, Bill Jr experimented with wood staves to create Maker’s 46.
And today the brand, guided by Rob Samuels, is committed to staying true to its origin (Star Hill Farm) and the visionary and artistic approach that made the mark in 1958 – and will continue to make today.
And today the brand, guided by Rob Samuels, is committed to staying true to its origin (Star Hill Farm) and the visionary and artistic approach that made the mark in 1958 – and will continue to make today.
Maker's Mark Timeline
1952
Bill Samuels Sr. starts the new distillery (at current location), with a vision to create a whisky he would like.
1953
Bill Samuels Sr. burns the old family recipe & Margie creates the name Maker’s Mark as well as the bottle design
1958
The first bottle is finished and hand-dipped.
1975
Bill Samuels Jr. takes over the brand
1980
The Wall Street Journal article introduces the world to Maker’s Mark
2010
Maker’s 46 is introduced to the market
2011
Rob Samuels takes over the brand
2015
Private Select Barrel Program launched
Stories
HISTORY CELEBRATED
Burning the family recipe (1953)
The Samuels family had been making bourbon for generations - just not very good bourbon. This is what led Bill Sr. and Margie to start his new bourbon with a demonstrative act: the burning of the old family recipe.
This ceremonial burning marked a new beginning.
Bill Sr. worked years to find the perfect recipe, and by taking a granular approach, he experimented with grain ratios in bread-baking, he found that red winter wheat gave him what he had envisioned: a bourbon with no burn or bitterness – and a flavor-forward finish.
The birth of an icon and the mark of a maker (1958)
Much like the bourbon created by Bill Sr., the design of the bottle and the refined aesthetic of the Maker’s Mark brand were guided by an artistic vision.
That vision came from Margie Samuels, an avid collector of cognac bottles, pewter, and period furniture. Margie worked to signify the quality of her husband’s bourbon and created the brand name, hand-made aesthetic, and iconic wax – all design semiotics of an elevated, artful, and significant bourbon that is marked for its original spirit.
That vision came from Margie Samuels, an avid collector of cognac bottles, pewter, and period furniture. Margie worked to signify the quality of her husband’s bourbon and created the brand name, hand-made aesthetic, and iconic wax – all design semiotics of an elevated, artful, and significant bourbon that is marked for its original spirit.
Inductions into the Bourbon Hall of Fame
Three members of the Samuels family has been inducted into the Bourbon HOF.
Bill Jr. was inducted in the first year of the Hall (2001) and was also awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.
Bill Sr. was inducted as part of the 2002 class.
Margie Samuels was inducted in 2017, as the 5th woman to be part of the hall, and the first woman directly associated with a distillery.
Bill Sr. was inducted as part of the 2002 class.
Margie Samuels was inducted in 2017, as the 5th woman to be part of the hall, and the first woman directly associated with a distillery.
The sense of place: Star Hill Farm
The location of Star Hill Farm was selected because of the local lake which provides a unique water quality.
The natural environment around the distillery has a significant impact on not only the bourbon but the experience of the brand; the hospitality, the homely feel, and the very atmosphere of Kentucky.
Star Hill Farm gives the bourbon a special and single origin – making it a bourbon truly flavored and shaped by nature.
The natural environment around the distillery has a significant impact on not only the bourbon but the experience of the brand; the hospitality, the homely feel, and the very atmosphere of Kentucky.
Star Hill Farm gives the bourbon a special and single origin – making it a bourbon truly flavored and shaped by nature.
People
MAKER'S MARK
The Founder’s Dream
Bill Samuels Sr. took a different approach to creating his bourbon.
Together with Margie, he created a bourbon that was a marriage of art and science, of good taste to taste good, of substance and style.
Everything is made one at a time.
Everything made is one of a kind.
Together with Margie, he created a bourbon that was a marriage of art and science, of good taste to taste good, of substance and style.
Everything is made one at a time.
Everything made is one of a kind.
The Mark of the Maker:
The First Refined Bourbon.
The First Refined Bourbon.
Bill Samuels Sr: The Taste Vision
Bill Samuels Sr was an engineer who had a vision to create a bourbon that did not ‘blow your ears off’. While the Samuels family had made bourbon for generations, he did not think much of the quality – so much so that he chose to burn the family recipe (as a ceremonial act).
Described as a genteel man – and raised in an affluent family home (his father was the mayor of Bardstown, KY) – he befriended many of the other bourbon families, who eventually helped to get him started making his own bourbon.
Bill experimented with grain-ratios in bread baking, and ultimately found that red winter wheat gave him the front-palate, non-bitter finish he was looking for. He was adamant about working with local producers and wanted to establish a partnership relationship with his grain supplier. This also led him to control the quality and profile of the bourbon.
Bill’s vision for the bourbon he made was not rooted in a market opportunity, but rather a flavor/taste vision that he worked toward.
Described as a genteel man – and raised in an affluent family home (his father was the mayor of Bardstown, KY) – he befriended many of the other bourbon families, who eventually helped to get him started making his own bourbon.
Bill experimented with grain-ratios in bread baking, and ultimately found that red winter wheat gave him the front-palate, non-bitter finish he was looking for. He was adamant about working with local producers and wanted to establish a partnership relationship with his grain supplier. This also led him to control the quality and profile of the bourbon.
Bill’s vision for the bourbon he made was not rooted in a market opportunity, but rather a flavor/taste vision that he worked toward.
A profile that would sell itself, purely on quality.
He did not think much of marketing/advertising, as he believed that his product should be good enough to stand alone – to be discovered on its own merit, by the sort of people who value quality. It was this product-centric focus that allowed him to create a ‘step up ’/premium bourbon, and a ‘quietly confident’ bourbon brand.
Margie Samuels: The Creative Vision
Born into a poor Louisville family, Margie managed to get a scholarship to a good high school, and later another scholarship to attend college and get a degree in Chemistry.
Described as a ‘woman who took action – and was always right’, her determination led her to create the Maker’s Mark brand and aesthetic.
Margie had for some time collected cognac bottles and pewter and was inspired by the very notion of authorship in design. This led her to create the name, Maker’s Mark, and the iconic design.
To develop the design, Margie created a 3-foot paper mâché bottle that functioned as the original mock-up for the final bottle design. She also hand-dipped the very first bottle in the family kitchen (it was up to Bill to engineer a way for people to cut through the wax and open the bottle).
Described by Bill Jr as ‘an authority on things. Everybody was afraid of her. But she was always right’ she was persistent on making Star Hill Farm a destination and an experience for visitors.
She wanted Star Hill Farm to be a welcoming place with a mentality of; ‘If you invite people to your distillery, it should be like your home’. Much can be attributed to the argument that Margie invented Bourbon tourism. Both Bill Sr and her keen interest in landscaping, fine period furniture, and home decor, led the way to restore the buildings on Star Hill Farm.
Together, Bill Sr and Marge was a marriage of science and art. They were described as:
Described as a ‘woman who took action – and was always right’, her determination led her to create the Maker’s Mark brand and aesthetic.
Margie had for some time collected cognac bottles and pewter and was inspired by the very notion of authorship in design. This led her to create the name, Maker’s Mark, and the iconic design.
To develop the design, Margie created a 3-foot paper mâché bottle that functioned as the original mock-up for the final bottle design. She also hand-dipped the very first bottle in the family kitchen (it was up to Bill to engineer a way for people to cut through the wax and open the bottle).
Described by Bill Jr as ‘an authority on things. Everybody was afraid of her. But she was always right’ she was persistent on making Star Hill Farm a destination and an experience for visitors.
She wanted Star Hill Farm to be a welcoming place with a mentality of; ‘If you invite people to your distillery, it should be like your home’. Much can be attributed to the argument that Margie invented Bourbon tourism. Both Bill Sr and her keen interest in landscaping, fine period furniture, and home decor, led the way to restore the buildings on Star Hill Farm.
Together, Bill Sr and Marge was a marriage of science and art. They were described as:
‘Bill Sr: Taste Good. Margie: Good Taste’
by Bill Jr.
Bill Samuels Jr: The Innovator
(2nd Generation)
Bill Jr.'s career started as a rocket scientist – however as a rocket built by Bill crashed (no one was hurt) – he went on to study Law at Vanderbilt (seeing that Bill Sr would not hire him at the distillery).
When Bill Jr was done working at a patent office for a few years,
he joined the family business and was put in charge of Marketing (a field that Bill Sr. did not believe in).
Bill Jr. was given a small budget, but hiring Doe Anderson located in Louisville managed to create interest for the brand – at first through a front-page Wall Street Journal article, and later by developing the strong brand personality (one that embodied his father Bill Sr), resulting in the brand to take off.
When Bill Jr was done working at a patent office for a few years,
he joined the family business and was put in charge of Marketing (a field that Bill Sr. did not believe in).
Bill Jr. was given a small budget, but hiring Doe Anderson located in Louisville managed to create interest for the brand – at first through a front-page Wall Street Journal article, and later by developing the strong brand personality (one that embodied his father Bill Sr), resulting in the brand to take off.
‘We took his [Bill Sr.] baby to market the way it was meant to’
Bill Jr.
Bill Jr. worked on positioning the Maker’s Mark brand as a better bourbon (captured in the advertising line ‘Taste expensive. And it is.’ Bill Jr carried on the personal approach to marketing by creating the Ambassador program to help establish a closer relationship with bartenders and retail.
When Bill Sr handed over the company to Bill Jr he did so with the words; ‘Don’t screw up the whisky’. Bill Jr. carried on the visionary and artistic focus on products put forth by his parents – and this was exemplified in Bill Jr.’s bourbon creation Maker’s 46 (launched in 2010).
His approach to creating Maker’s 46 was much like his father’s: a clear focus on a taste vision and a profile. Through many trials, Bill Jr. found that stave type 46 gave him the ‘yummy’ bourbon he was looking for.
Bill Jr. retired in 2011.
When Bill Sr handed over the company to Bill Jr he did so with the words; ‘Don’t screw up the whisky’. Bill Jr. carried on the visionary and artistic focus on products put forth by his parents – and this was exemplified in Bill Jr.’s bourbon creation Maker’s 46 (launched in 2010).
His approach to creating Maker’s 46 was much like his father’s: a clear focus on a taste vision and a profile. Through many trials, Bill Jr. found that stave type 46 gave him the ‘yummy’ bourbon he was looking for.
Bill Jr. retired in 2011.
Rob Samuels: The Naturalist
(3rd Generation)
Rob Samuels took over the operations of Maker’s Mark in 2011 with the same instructions, Bill Sr gave Bill Jr: ‘Don’t screw up the whiskey’. As the 3rd generation at Maker’s Mark Rob has continued the focus on building a unique experience at Star Hill Farm.
In 2015 Rob launched the Private Select Barrel Program, offering the opportunity to bespeak a flavor profile, by selecting different staves – much like how Maker’s 46 was initially created. The experience of sitting in the newly constructed cave, selecting each stave profile, and imagining the outcome is true to the artistry and elevated sense of bourbon creation that his family has championed for generations.
Rob has been disciplined and instrumental in building the experience at Star Hill Farm and carried on the artistic remit of the brand through collaborations with artists such as Dale Chihuly.
The importance of place has been a fundamental part of the Maker’s Mark brand: from finding a singular source of water to working with local grain suppliers and building a distillery experience. All these parts are informed by nature, and Rob is passionate about furthering the integration and natural aspect of Star Hill Farm into the brand.
In 2015 Rob launched the Private Select Barrel Program, offering the opportunity to bespeak a flavor profile, by selecting different staves – much like how Maker’s 46 was initially created. The experience of sitting in the newly constructed cave, selecting each stave profile, and imagining the outcome is true to the artistry and elevated sense of bourbon creation that his family has championed for generations.
Rob has been disciplined and instrumental in building the experience at Star Hill Farm and carried on the artistic remit of the brand through collaborations with artists such as Dale Chihuly.
The importance of place has been a fundamental part of the Maker’s Mark brand: from finding a singular source of water to working with local grain suppliers and building a distillery experience. All these parts are informed by nature, and Rob is passionate about furthering the integration and natural aspect of Star Hill Farm into the brand.
‘Bourbon is nature, distilled.’
- Rob Samuels
Place
STAR HILL FARM
Star Hill Farm: Historical context
Bill Sr. selected the location of Star Hill Farm because of its unique water source: the local lake that would make him the only bourbon made from that source.
The name ‘Star Hill Farm’ came from the old family farm (where Bill Jr. grew up), and the place took a prominent role as part of the brand aesthetic when Margie designed the Samuels seal, as well as emphasized the importance of creating a place that felt warm, and elevated hospitality. Margie wanted the architecture to resemble a Kentucky version of Williamsburg, and Rob has continued this vision to this day.
Star Hill Farm: A sense of place
Liquid
House Style Liquid
What Makes it a Maker’s?
“A better bourbon that does not blow your ears off’
A flavor-forward bourbon that is soft, rich, and balanced (‘without burn or bite’).
The Mark of the Maker:
The meticulous selection of the best, local ingredients (Water, Red Winter Wheat, Wood) brought to life with a clear taste vision.
REFINED BOURBON:
THE ART AND SCIENCE OF BOURBON
THE ART AND SCIENCE OF BOURBON
Ingredients and key processes
Experience
THE FIRST SIP
When tasting Maker’s Mark the natural discovery of a more refined, flavor-forward bourbon with a softer and balanced finish is front and center.
This is what has led to word-of-mouth recommendations from people to people.
The drink experience is to be served with the warm and elevated Kentucky hospitality that Margie envisioned for the brand.
Marketing is inappropriate,
Maker’s Mark is all about the product
Maker’s Mark is all about the product
Personality
Personality & Behavior
The development of the brand personality
When Bill Jr. joined the family distillery in the early 1970s, he was put in charge of Marketing – a trade that Bill Sr. did not have strong beliefs in. Bill Sr. believed that the product, and its inherent quality, was what would sell it.
With little budget, Bill Jr. had to improvise. He hired Doe Anderson as the advertising agency, and managed to invite a journalist from The Wall Street Times to the distillery – and on the 1st of August 1980 WSJ ran an article featuring Maker’s Mark as “a bourbon worth discovering”.
As the bourbon and brand started to gain traction, it needed to form an identity – one that was true of the brand. Instead of asking Bill Sr. directly, Bill Jr. got his father’s friends to describe Bill Sr. And thus, the six brand personality traits were created, and the intelligent and confident tone of the brand was defined.
The Maker’s Mark brand has leveraged the high-quality standard of its bourbon to express a brand that is intelligent, to be discovered, and with a warm personality that speaks of substance, with style.
With little budget, Bill Jr. had to improvise. He hired Doe Anderson as the advertising agency, and managed to invite a journalist from The Wall Street Times to the distillery – and on the 1st of August 1980 WSJ ran an article featuring Maker’s Mark as “a bourbon worth discovering”.
As the bourbon and brand started to gain traction, it needed to form an identity – one that was true of the brand. Instead of asking Bill Sr. directly, Bill Jr. got his father’s friends to describe Bill Sr. And thus, the six brand personality traits were created, and the intelligent and confident tone of the brand was defined.
The Maker’s Mark brand has leveraged the high-quality standard of its bourbon to express a brand that is intelligent, to be discovered, and with a warm personality that speaks of substance, with style.
‘Start as fact. Then it becomes opinion’.
Bill Samuels Jr.
The six brand personality traits
