Where We Be
| Good Kentucky bourbon relies on the purity of its limestone-rich water, which is why the distillery is sited here in Loretto near a 10-acre limestone spring-fed lake |
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| Tours of Maker's Mark Distillery leave from this pretty farmhouse |
| Bourbon Trail, Kentucky |
| Maker's Mark is 18 miles from the other nearest distillery that offers tours, but the beautiful buildings and grounds make it worth the extra drive |
From Lexington we followed the Bourbon Trail
towards Bardstown, passing most of the key
bourbon distilleries along the way – Woodford
Reserve, Wild Turkey, Four Roses, Heaven Hill,
and Maker’s Mark. We saw signs for Jim Beam
but headed instead towards Maker's Mark in
Loretto because we had read on TripAdvisor
they had particularly good tours and tastings.
We don't usually drink bourbon but we decided
to become bourbon drinkers for the day since
we were right in the heart of Bourbon Country.
It turns out Maker’s Mark is the oldest distiller
of Kentucky bourbon. It started out as Burk’s
Distillery in 1889, and an even older distillery
occupied the site as far back as 1805. A small
building called the "Quart House" still stands
on the premises to this day; in the old days,
folks used to come there to fill up their quart-
sized bottles with good ol' Kentucky bourbon.
The distillery buildings are painted “whiskey
brown,” and the red shutters even have
whiskey bottles carved into them. It was the
distiller's wife who did the decorating, and she
was also the marketing genius who came up
with the idea of dipping Maker’s Mark bottles
in red wax – the signature seal that has had
much to do with their success as a brand.
Our tour guide did a great job of explaining the
distilling process. Unquestionably the highlight
of the tour was getting to dip our fingers right
into a huge bubbling vat of mash. The taste of
the mash was grainy and sweet. The presenter
said, “Now every time you have a glass of
Maker’s Mark, you’ll probably wonder whose
finger was in it!” But thankfully he went on to
explain there were no worries of contamination
since the mash would go on to be distilled to
130 proof at extremely high temperatures,
which no contaminant could survive.
towards Bardstown, passing most of the key
bourbon distilleries along the way – Woodford
Reserve, Wild Turkey, Four Roses, Heaven Hill,
and Maker’s Mark. We saw signs for Jim Beam
but headed instead towards Maker's Mark in
Loretto because we had read on TripAdvisor
they had particularly good tours and tastings.
We don't usually drink bourbon but we decided
to become bourbon drinkers for the day since
we were right in the heart of Bourbon Country.
It turns out Maker’s Mark is the oldest distiller
of Kentucky bourbon. It started out as Burk’s
Distillery in 1889, and an even older distillery
occupied the site as far back as 1805. A small
building called the "Quart House" still stands
on the premises to this day; in the old days,
folks used to come there to fill up their quart-
sized bottles with good ol' Kentucky bourbon.
The distillery buildings are painted “whiskey
brown,” and the red shutters even have
whiskey bottles carved into them. It was the
distiller's wife who did the decorating, and she
was also the marketing genius who came up
with the idea of dipping Maker’s Mark bottles
in red wax – the signature seal that has had
much to do with their success as a brand.
Our tour guide did a great job of explaining the
distilling process. Unquestionably the highlight
of the tour was getting to dip our fingers right
into a huge bubbling vat of mash. The taste of
the mash was grainy and sweet. The presenter
said, “Now every time you have a glass of
Maker’s Mark, you’ll probably wonder whose
finger was in it!” But thankfully he went on to
explain there were no worries of contamination
since the mash would go on to be distilled to
130 proof at extremely high temperatures,
which no contaminant could survive.
| We taste-test two brands of Maker’s Mark -- their regular Kentucky bourbon and Makers Mark 46 (aged with French oak) |
| Whiskey bottles are carved into the red shutters |
| Whiskey Creek winds its way through the property |
| At the "dipping station," the hostess finishes dipping four glasses in the distinctive red wax that has had much to do with Maker's Mark's success |
| Maker’s Mark is known for using red winter wheat instead of rye, said to give it a less bitter taste than traditional bourbons |
| Customers get a chance to dip their gift shop bottles of Maker’s Mark in hot red wax |
| This is “Quart House” where in the old days customers would come to fill up their quart-size bottles with bourbon |
| Besides bourbon, Bardstown is famous for the Stephen Foster song "My Old Kentucky Home." This isn't the actual home, but it could be! |
| Afterwards the tour we pause in Bardstown long enough to take a quick walk through the historic downtown area -- above is the distinctive visitor's center |
| The distillery itself is where all the good stuff happens |
| We get to dip our fingers directly into the huge bubbling vat of mash! The mash tastes grainy and sweet. |
| Inside the distillery it's noisy and warm |
| Even the whiskey wagon is decorated for Christmas |
