Maker's Mark Tour

Finally back from the vacation.  I had someone ask me how my vacation was and when I told them good but long they thought that "long" was not a good way to describe a vacation.  We have always packed a lot into a vacation and this trip was no different.  In a weeks time we visited my sister in Kentucky, stayed a few days with my mom in West Virginia, and Daniel was in a wedding of some of our best friends in a different town in WV.  I will spare you a detail account of all our adventures but there was one cheapEntertainment activity I felt was too good not to post.

The Maker's Mark Distillery Tour, it's a family destination!

Kentucky, and my sister, have become proud of their burbon tradition and Daniel was extremely excited to learn my sister lives in the heart of the Kentucky Bourbon Train.  Sadly we only had time to visit the Maker's Mark distillery, living in the heart doesn't exactly mean down the street.

I wasn't kidding about it being a family event, aside from us there were three different families with kids obviously too young to enjoy the beverage they were touring but there they were.  It actually wasn't weird.  Our tour was much more focused on the history of the product more than the many ways the product can be consumed (which in KY is a lot ... they will put it in anything ... ask me about bourbon balls)

Our Tour Guide Hugh

I am not sure if that is a personal hat or if it was provided to him by the distillery but either way it was perfect.  Fun fact: Maker's Mark is a historical landmark as it is the oldest location of a distillery still in use.  Maker's mark was not the originally distillery but it is there now.  The building in the background is a 1800's liquor store, which has a period set up inside.

The whole campus (farm) is adorable.

Manufacturing building

It is feels like the kind of place you want to take engagement photos or have a family picnic.

The tour was interesting  going over the process of creating bourbon, history of the Maker's Marker, the distillery and fun tidbits. Did you know 60% of the cost for a bottle of Marker's Mark is taxes, I sure didn't. 

The tour was also fairly full access.

Distilling Happening

Smell the yeastiness

I mean it about full access, if you look closely you will see our tour guide and others leaning on the edge of the vat of fermenting yeast.  In general there was very little restrictions in how close we could get to things.  It was all I could do to stop from dunking my hand in it just because I could.

Dipping of the Red Wax

There was something a little mesmerizing about watching them dip the bottles, we were not the only ones that the tour guide had to push along.  I have been on a few factory tours and this is one of the smallest and slowest moving lines I have seen.  So it was great to actually be able to see every step happen instead of seeing it in warp speed.  Additional fun fact: instead of using water to clean their bottles before bottling they use hot bourbon.  While very cool the bourbon fumes did seem to give you a contact buzz as soon as you walked into the room, no wonder the dipping girls had a smile on their faces.

Classic shot

It wouldn't have been a bourbon tour without a shot of bourbon barrels.  The placards on the front of the barrels list the names of Maker's Mark Ambassadors.  Daniel and Christine, my sister, are both ambassaders, sadly we could not find there barrel.  When your barrel is ready they invite you to buy a bottle of it and dip it yourself.  Talk about a great marketing scheme as Christine and Daniel have every intention of coming back when there barrel is ready.

Christine and I

They have maintained enough old timey feel around the farm that we took a couple of pictures.

At the end of the tour we ended in the gift shop/ tasting room. Two complimentary taste came along with the tour which were completely wasted on me, I have had enough whiskey to know it is not for me.   We were given very detailed tasting instructions, which at the end of my sister shot her drink like a champ.  When I started laughing at her, she admitted it never accrued to her to drink it any other way.  

Over 50% of the items you could buy in the gift store were dipped in red wax including everything from glasses to ball caps.

There is also a little cafe on the campus where you can buy lunch as well as burbon dessers ... i.e. bourbon balls.  It actually feels like a little mom and pops sandwich shop and the prices didn't have that gauging the tourest feeling the to them.

Wiske Creek

Daniel picked up his first stamp for his Bourbon Trail Passport while we were there, he can't wait till we visit my sister again.

Summary      

Cost:

              None (the hour long tour was completely free)

Time:  11/2 hours (4 if you include travel time)

Average : $0 /hr entertainment  Yippie!

                        

Perks: 

I learned about whiskey and the history of the fine Maker's Mark product.