One last hoorah, part 1

 Before we returned home.  

Up early to meet all the attendees for breakfast before heading out.  We wanted to hit part of the bourbon trail.   We tried to get into several but they were booked.  We ended up at Maker’s Mark for a tour and a tasting.   

The setting for Maker’s Mark were beautiful.   Nestled in a hillside at the same location where founder Bill Samuels created the world’s first premium bourbon that changed the bourbon industry in 1953.  His wife, Margie, created the packaging which included the shape of the bottle, the look of the label, the red wax seal and even the name, Maker’s Mark.   Something she took from the maker’s mark of silversmiths on some of her pewterware.

Besides being a marketing whiz, Margie helped in out in other ways.  Bill and Margie worked out the ideal mixture for the mash bills by cleverly testing mash bills through bread making to quickly test the recipes without having to wait for the time it would take to distill and age.  

We walked the entire process line.

Labels are still made individually with a printing press from the 1930’s that Bill and Margie bought when they started Maker’s Mark.

 

Barrels are still hand rolled

Before heading to our tasting, we watch the trademark dipping into the red wax.

There are a lot of works by local artists including this beautiful glass work in the bar.

This is Whiskey Jean.   She lives are the distillery and has complete run of the place and her own Instagram site!

This is the ceiling in one of the hallways in a barrel room.

And then to our tasting….

After a yummy lunch in the pavilion, we were back to retrace our steps back to Lexington and on our way home.  This is the pavilion when we started the tour.  When we returned for lunch it was nearly filled with patrons and good food.

Next post, the last of the trip, a stop in Gettysburg and some needlework progress, I promise.

Thanks for stopping by and traveling with me.  Keep on stitching!