Loretto, Kentucky – Maker’s Mark Distillery

Things to Know:

• Admission fee for guided tours.
• Somewhat out of the way, but with plenty of signage and GPS assistance to get you there via scenic country roads.
• A bourbon lover’s dream stop. Extremely interesting opportunity for an up close look at one of the world’s most famous distilleries.
• The most well maintained distillery in terms of appearance, with squeaky clean buildings, wide sweeping walkways, magnificent landscaping, and unusual warehouse architecture.
• 3 Different guided tours requiring moderate walking and standing.
• Dogs are allowed on the grounds but cannot be taken on guided tours.

We’ve been here a total of three times in less than two years, so you know it’s one of our favorite places.

Eastern Kentucky is the promised land for bourbon lovers. Surprisingly, the majority of the world’s most renowned bourbon distillers can be found in a rural, sparsely populated region between Louisville and Lexington. The headquarters of such legendary manufacturers as Wild Turkey, Jim Beam, Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hills, and Maker’s Mark are all tucked away between horse farms and rolling pastures, reachable only by winding country roads.

Most of the distilleries offer tours of their facilities, complete with product samplings. While we can’t honestly say we’ve ever been on a bad tour, for our money there’s nothing quite like a visit to Maker’s Mark. We refer to it as the Disney World of bourbon.

What makes it different? For starters, the grounds are immaculate. Shrubs are trimmed to perfection, walkways are broad and sparkly clean, and buildings always seem freshly painted, free of the grayish-black stains typically associated with the bourbon-making process.

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Maker’s aging processes are also unique. They are one of only a few bourbon makers that rotate their barrels midway through the aging process, moving them from the warmer upper levels of warehouses to the cooler lower levels, and vice versa. This ensures a consistent flavor. Other distilleries leave their barrels on one level throughout the entire aging process, which creates different products with varying tastes. Also unlike other distillers, Maker’s doesn’t age its product for a specific number of years. While there is an acceptable age range for its bourbon, Maker’s is considered ready when it meets the taste test, rather than after a set time period.

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Maker’s manually cuts and imprints each and every one of its bottle labels using 1935 vintage, hand-operated presses. It also famously hand-dips the trade-mark wax seal on each bottle’s stem.

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The Visitor Center, or “Homeplace”, is a stately, historically restored structure. Maker’s Mark Distillery is a registered National Landmark.

The General Tour is a great way to see the entire distillery and operation, while the Heritage Tour immerses guests in the detailed history of bourbon making and the Maker’s brand. However, for a true behind the scenes experience, we recommend the Maker’s Immersion Tour. You’ll see parts of the facility other visitors don’t get to see, such as the yeast storage area, and you’ll have an opportunity to sample yeast, the pre-aged product, and undiluted, full-strength spirits.

Recommendation: This is at the top of the list of memorable things to do in northern Kentucky. If you’re only going to visit one of the many bourbon distilleries in Kentucky, we recommend this one. Tours are reasonably priced, very informative and quite well presented. The grounds and structures are the most impeccably maintained and impressive of any distillery we’ve visited. Tours provide excellent historical background on general bourbon history and the founding of the Maker’s brand. Tours also allow visitors to see Maker’s famous manual labeling and bottle waxing operations in progress, and provide access to areas you won’t be able to see on your own. Post-tour tastings are a definite plus. Allow an hour-and-a-half for the General Tour, two-and-a-half hours for the Heritage Tour, and three hours for the Immersion Tour.