When Bill Samuels Sr. and his wife Margie bought an old distillery in Loretto, Kentucky, for just $35,000 in 1953, bourbon was hardly the darling of American spirits. The post-Prohibition market was in decline; whiskey drinkers were turning to vodka. Yet from this forgotten corner of Marion County, the Samuels family revived not only their own legacy but the idea of bourbon as a craft worth cherishing.
The tour shuttle that brings guests around Star Hill Farm. [Photo: Kim Choong]
Today, Maker’s Mark remains a single-site operation, every drop of its whiskey ever made has been distilled under the same roof. Our guide, Trevor Bowles, VIP Experience & Trade Engagement Manager of Maker’s Mark took us to a tour of the estate, walking through history like turning pages of the family’s book.
The distillery sits on over 1,100 acres of rolling countryside known as Star Hill Farm, an estate designed to inspire both reflection and pride in Kentucky craftsmanship. “All the Maker’s Mark anywhere in the world are made right here,” says Trevor, as we step into the distillery’s SUV.
Bee condos in Starthill Farm. [Photo: Kim Choong]
From Mother Oak to the Lake
The Maker’s Mark experience begins in the estate’s woods. Our ride carried us past neatly trimmed grass fields and a small bee settlement in white drawers that look like miniature condos.
Once parked, we continued our journey on foot. A soft, persistent whisper of water guided us deeper into the path, until we reached a bushy bank shyly hiding the stream, the same waterway that feeds the distillery’s 11-acre spring fed lake.
This lake is the beginning of every bottle of Maker’s Mark. Its water, naturally filtered of iron and rich in calcium and minerals, forms the backbone of the bourbon’s approachable smoothness. The surrounding 60-acre protected watershed acts as a guardian for this purity, ensuring the source remains untouched for generations.
Post box that takes postcards from visitors of The Oak Experience. [Photo: Kim Choong]
Beside the stream stood an old-fashioned post box marked “1953 Star Hill Farm”, a working mailbox that gathers postcards from visitors who want to send a piece of their Maker’s Mark moment to family and friends around the world. Trevor opened it for us, pulling out a small bundle of postcards and letters, each one stamped with personal notes.
Not far from the lake stands the Mother Oak, a white oak tree estimated to be 300 to 500 years old. Working with the University of Kentucky, Maker’s Mark has mapped its genetics in the hope of unlocking how white oaks can thrive for centuries, a project with implications not just for bourbon but for the global spirits industry that relies on American oak barrels.
(Left) The OAK Experience: Visitors can plant a white oak sapling on the estate, a symbolic gesture of giving back to the land that makes bourbon possible; and share their experiences through postcards. (Middle) Mother Oak. (Right) Near the Mother Oak, a rock painted blue like a folded American flag sits in memory of Eric Ward, who was lost to military suicide. The rock was placed there by @4wardproject, a movement started by his parents to honour his life and raise awareness. [Photo by Kim Choong]
Tradition over Technology
We hopped back on the SUV and drove past the lake and lush greens, passing the staff car park before stopping at the still house. Inside, the process begins with locally sourced grains: 70% corn, 16% soft red winter wheat, and 14% malted barley. The wheat, grown at Peterson Family Farm, replaces rye found in many other bourbons, lending Maker’s Mark its round, mellow character.
Still house where we learned about the process of making Maker's Mark bourbon. [Photo: Kim Choong]
The grains are ground using a roller mill, a gentler method than the industry-standard hammer mill, to preserve husk integrity and flavour nuance. The mash is cooked in 10,000-gallon vats using water from the lake, gradually cooled and fermented in a mix of century-old cypress and stainless-steel tanks. “We ferment for three days,” Trevor explains, “because fermentation creates alcohol; distillation just focuses it.”
(Left) Still. (Middle) The SIV stained-glass piece is rich with symbolism. The “S” stands for Samuels, while “IV” represents the family’s fourth generation. The star refers to Star Hill Farm, the name of the property. When viewed from an angle, shards of blue glass appear within the red circle, a nod to the lake and the distillery’s vital water source. Standing directly in front of the artwork, however, the blue turns clear, mirroring what happens after distillation in the very room where the piece sits: the liquid becomes crystal clear. And when sunlight hits the artwork from outside, the entire panel glows red, evoking the final stage of the process when every bottle is dipped in Maker’s Mark’s iconic wax seal. (Right) Trevor, our guide in the fermentation room. There are 62 fermenters comprise of stainless steel and Cyprus. [Photo by Kim Choong]
The distillation itself remains stubbornly faithful to the past. Despite a major expansion in 2001, the team chose to replicate the original stills, same size, same shape, rather than embrace modern efficiency at the cost of taste. The spirit emerges at 130 proof (65% ABV), viscous and oily to the touch, before being proofed down to 110 (55% ABV) for barrelling.
(Left) Barrels and Maker's Mark 46 in the limestone cave cellar; (Middle) Trevor in the barrel room with Chihuly at Maker's" refers to the exhibition of Dale Chihuly's glass art installations, Spirit of the Maker in 2014. (Right) American Wheat Whiskey at 57.31%ABV (114.7 proof) using 51% soft red winter wheat, 27% walted soft red winter wheat and 22% malted barley. Only available in Maker's Mark shop with limited quantity. [Photos: Kim Choong]
Age, Patience, and People
Maker’s Mark ages all its whiskey in traditional warehouses, the oldest built in the 1800s, rotating barrels from top to bottom floors after three years to balance exposure to Kentucky’s extreme seasonal temperatures. “Barrels are like people,” Trevor says. “Maturity comes at different times.”
Employee welfare and community are part of this maturing story too. The distillery hosts family events like Halloween trick-or-treats and Easter egg hunts, and every Christmas, employees receive a mixed case of Maker’s bottles, a small gesture of appreciation for those who keep the operation running with heart.
Barrels aged in rotation in this cellar that experiences the different seasons amd temperatures. [Photo: Kim Choong]
Labels and Red Wax
Few icons in spirits are as instantly recognisable as Maker’s Mark’s red wax-dipped bottles. The idea came from Margie Samuels, the brand’s co-founder and creative visionary, inspired by the hand-sealed cognac bottles she admired. To this day, every bottle is dipped by hand, no two drips alike.
Margie also designed the distillery’s aesthetic, a village-like layout reminiscent of a European hamlet, where each building serves a specific purpose, from printing labels on 1930s presses to cutting and tearing them by hand. The hospitality message on the first 1959 bottle still reads: “If you’re ever in the neighbourhood, come visit us.”
Every bottle of Maker's Mark is hand dipped with the signature wax. [Photo: Kim Choong]
Sustainability
Beyond whiskey, Maker’s Mark leads environmental efforts in Marion County. The distillery pulverises up to 20,000 pounds of glass each month, recycling bottles from local businesses and residents, even a nearby convent. Every element of production is either recycled, composted, or repurposed.
This stewardship extends to the OAK Experience, where visitors can plant their own trees on the estate, a literal investment in the future of bourbon.
Bourbon barrels in the limestone cellar for Maker's Mark 46. [Photo: Kim Choong]
Maker’s 46 and the Limestone Cellar
For over 50 years, Maker’s Mark made one whiskey, until Maker’s 46 arrived in 2010, created by Bill Samuels Jr. after two years and 136 experiments. The result was a richer, bolder version of the classic, finished with 10 seared French oak staves inserted into mature bourbon barrels. To age these, Maker’s Mark blasted into the hillside to create a climate-controlled limestone cellar, cool and humid all year round.
Maker's Mark limstone cellar adjacent to the blending room. [Photo: Kim Choong]
Private Selection - The Art of Independence
Since 2015, Maker’s Mark has invited bartenders and partners to create their own custom versions through the Private Selection program. Participants choose combinations of 10 oak staves from five flavour profiles, blending art and science in pursuit of a shared “taste vision.”
“There are 1,001 possible recipes,” Trevor says. “It’s like being a bourbon chef.” Each unique barrel is aged in the limestone cellar, bottled, and labelled exclusively for the collaborator, a program that captures Maker’s Mark’s blend of craft, collaboration, and creativity.
(Left) Hardin Creek; (Middle & Right) The front and back of an art installation that resembles the wax seal drip and limestone cellar. [Photos: Kim Choong]
Singapore’s Special Collaborations
Maker’s Mark has chosen Singapore as the exclusive Southeast Asian market for the Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged, reflecting the city’s role as a key hub for premium spirits in the region. In 2021, the Private Selection Cask edition was created in partnership with Manhattan Bar Singapore and launched alongside Maker’s Mark 46. Then in 2022, the Wood Finishing Series as a special limited release for Global Retail for Singapore edition was with Chef Willin Low and Jigger & Pony’s Bar Director, Aki Eguchi, with the release made available at Changi Airport through Lotte Duty Free.
Cellar Aged Singapore 2025 Edition. [Photo source: Maker's Mark]
In 2023, the first Cellar Aged for Singapore market debuted, and the second edition was released the following year. For the third year of its release in 2025, Maker’s Mark has partnered with Joseph Seah, co-founder of Bar.Ter and a respected authority in American whiskey known for his deep knowledge and longstanding engagement with the bourbon community. This year’s launch will feature month-long activations at Bar.Ter, including masterclasses and guided tasting events led by Joseph himself, designed to offer drinkers a deeper appreciation of Cellar Aged and the wider Maker’s Mark portfolio. Bar.Ter is the only venue in Singapore that carries the three editions of Cellar Aged whiskey.
When visitors arrive at Maker’s Mark, this is the reception area where the tour both begins and ends. Cocktails are served here, and the distillery cat can often be found napping on his favourite laptop. [Photo: Kim Choong]
Dining at the Distillery with Star Hill Provisions
Located on the grounds of the Maker’s Mark distillery at Star Hill Farm in Loretto, Kentucky, Star Hill Provisions offers a farm-to-table dining experience that complements the bourbon tour. The menu pivots on locally-sourced ingredients, many drawn from small farms run by distillery employees, and delivered in Southern-inspired dishes such as the Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich, Benedictine spread, and bourbon-spiked desserts.
The Quart House is the last remaining structure of its kind. Long before modern bottle shops existed, local farmers would ride or drive out to the Quart House with their canning jars and jugs, which were filled directly from the barrels kept there for that very purpose. [Photo: Kim Choong]
Beverage-wise, the bar at Star Hill Provisions spotlights Maker’s Mark bourbon in both classic cocktails and inventive seasonal creations. Guests might sip a Maker’s Mark Old Fashioned stirred 100 times, enjoy a Maker’s & Ale-8-One slushie, or explore specially crafted bourbon-forward cocktails designed to pair seamlessly with the food.
(Left) Maker's Mark SIV insignia on a stain glass from outside the fermentation room; (Middle) Star Hill Provisions interior); (Right) Lunch. [Photos: Kim Choong]
The ethos here is simple, you’re drinking the same spirit you toured being made, in a setting rooted in its origin, served alongside cuisine that reflects the land, the spirit, and the people of Maker’s Mark.
The restaurant’s menu makes a point of stating that tips are not required, emphasising that staff are paid fairly and their welfare is well looked after, from adequate rest days to proper insurance coverage. It’s a marked departure from the typical F&B model in the United States, where employees depend heavily on tips as a significant portion of their income.
Side view of the still house. [Photo: Kim Choong]
The Spirit of Margie
In the Margie Samuels Vestibule, visitors encounter the heart of the brand’s philosophy: beauty, warmth, and human touch. Margie was posthumously inducted into the Bourbon Hall of Fame in 2014 and credited with pioneering bourbon tourism itself. Her pewter collection inspired the Maker’s Mark name, “the maker’s mark” being a craftsman’s proud signature on their finest work.
A working fueling station retained from the past. [Photo: Kim Choong]
Margie’s Pewter Collection
At the heart of Maker’s Mark’s name lies Margie Samuels’ pewter collection, an unassuming inspiration that became a defining symbol of the brand’s craftsmanship. Margie admired how pewter artisans traditionally stamped their “maker’s mark” on their finest pieces, a hallmark of pride, authenticity, and artistry. She believed her family’s bourbon, lovingly handmade from grain to glass, deserved the same signature of integrity. This idea gave rise to both the brand’s name, Maker’s Mark, and its distinctive SIV insignia, which stands for “Samuels IV,” honouring Bill Samuels Sr.
Today, 90 pieces of Margie’s original pewter collection remain preserved and displayed at the distillery, offering a tangible connection to the woman whose vision continues to shape the brand’s soul and style.
(Left) Margie's pewter collection; (Middle) Wall in the limestone cave cellar; (Right) Dipping station in the Maker's Mark shop. [Photos: Kim Choong]
Visiting Star Hill Farm
Guests can explore the working distillery, try numerous tour options, limestone cellar, bottling hall, and finishing warehouse, with curated tastings of expressions like Maker’s 46 and Private Selection.
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