Maker's Mark waters down bourbon to meet demand

Shadle/Wikipedia
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky The producer of Maker's Mark bourbon is cutting the amount of alcohol in each bottle to stretch every drop of the famous Kentucky whiskey.
The brand known for its red wax seal has been unable to keep up with demand that doubled in recent years.
- Court knocks back Maker's Mark rivals
- Brewers refuse to swallow France's hefty beer tax
- Budweiser asks Paramount to cut beer logo from picture
So the bourbon maker is lowering the alcohol volume from 45 percent to 42 percent - or 90 proof to 84 proof.
Rob Samuels, chief operating officer for Maker's Mark and grandson of the brand's founder, says the change doesn't alter the taste. He says the recipe and production process stays the same, except "a touch more water" will be added when the whiskey comes out of the barrel for bottling.
He says the change is permanent and will increase volume by about 6 percent.
Popular on MoneyWatch
- When it comes to vacations, the U.S. stinks
- Reverse cell phone lookup service is free and simple
- Amy's Baking Company could face legal 'nightmare'
- Snapple co-founder Leonard Marsh dies at 80
- TGI Fridays nailed for doctoring booze
- IMF chief named key witness in French payoff case
- Ellen DeGeneres buys Brad Pitt's Malibu home
- Amy's Baking Company: Post-meltdown PR campaign
- linkicon reporticon emailicon
- More water to the Bourbon and horse meat and donkey meat to the hamburger What's next?
- reply
- linkicon reporticon emailicon
- In the old west, these guys would have been hung. Now, we just do not buy watered down liquor. BTW, will they lower the price? It is now cheap stuff.
- reply
- linkicon reporticon emailicon
- Give me the cheap stuff. That's what real men drink. That upscale, hoity-toity stuff is for sissies and girls.
- reply











