Maker’s Mark® Bourbon Announces Wood Finishing City Series, A Global Travel Retail Innovation

New Offerings Capture the Character, Essence and Experience of The World’s Most Enchanting Cities – Beginning in 2022 with New York City and Sydney   zzubreebym

LORETTO, KY  Nov. 8, 2022  Maker’s Mark® has today introduced two new Global Travel Retail (GTR) exclusive whiskies to mark its newest Wood Finishing Series – the City Series – capturing the character of the world’s most enchanting locations for whisky fans traveling the globe. Launching with New York City and Sydney, new limited-edition city releases will be added over the multi-year series.

Maker’s Mark knows that to truly experience a city, you have to know its insiders. To kick off this series, Maker’s recruited aesthetes and tastemakers who became our city spirit guides. With every Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series whisky, there’s an established taste vision, or flavor goal, in mind. Here, the liquid is meant to evoke the essence and nuances of the place they live and love – all through bourbon.

New York Edition

A first trip to New York City promises to be unforgettable. The taste vision for the New York Edition was created with the goal of capturing the excitement of your first trip to the city that never sleeps. Flavor experts Erina Yoshida and Justin Ottevanger created a whisky that is big, bold and complex, with layers of spice, oak and rich dark chocolate.  At 107.8 proof, the limited-edition bourbon has a long finish … nearly as long as its namesake city’s iconic skyline.

Sydney Edition

With the help of Sydney insiders Sam Egerton and Jordan Toft, this herbaceous expression of Maker’s Mark pays homage to the vibrant people, culture and dynamic palate of the city. Meant to be enjoyed outdoors, the 110.8 proof spirit is ripe and fruit-forward.

The New York and Sydney Editions are the first two in a limited series of handcrafted Maker’s expressions which honor the unique taste profiles of cities around the world. It is the result of more than a decade of wood-science expertise, exploring the influence of oak and agriculture on bourbon’s wide-ranging taste profiles. The Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series celebrates the inherent uniqueness of different wood types, celebrating individuality through flavor, just as each city’s unique, signature whisky now does.

"It’s incredibly rewarding to bring a taste of our distillery in Loretto, Kentucky to the Global Travel Retail market through the new City Series," said Rob Samuels, Chief Distillery Officer at Maker’s Mark and Grandson of the Founders. "Just as my grandparents sat down with a taste vision in mind when creating Maker’s Mark, partnering with Erina and Justin in New York and Sam and Jordan in Sydney to create bourbons that embodied their cities resulted in delicious new whiskies that are a true adventure of their own."

Both the Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series New York and Sydney Editions are now available Global Travel Retail. The New York Edition is sold at John F. Kennedy Airport Terminal 1 for a SRP of $95 USD and the Sydney Edition is available at Sydney Terminal 1 for a SRP of $140 AUD. Each terminal has curated Maker’s Mark boutiques to sell the new whiskies with various experiential components such as screen-printing for travelers to enjoy. The stunning designs play homage to each city and the handcrafted nature of Maker’s Mark Bourbon.

About Maker’s Mark^® Bourbon
In 1953, in Loretto, Ky., Bill Samuels, Sr., fulfilled his dream to create a handmade and delicious bourbon. He decided to make his whisky in small batches, using soft red winter wheat to enhance the softness and sweetness. He then rotated each barrel by hand for consistency and, finally, aged each barrel to taste. While he developed the bourbon, his wife Margie Samuels ideated the bourbon’s name and label, standout bottle shape, iconic and signature look that still involves hand-dipping each bottle in red wax to this day. Together as co-founders, Bill and Margie transformed bourbon from a "commodity" into a premium handmade spirit, and today Maker’s Mark® Kentucky Straight Bourbon continues to be crafted in the same, purposeful way. In recent years, Maker’s Mark has introduced thoughtful, super-premium innovations to its portfolio, including Maker’s Mark®, Maker’s Mark 46® Maker’s Mark® Cask Strength and Maker’s Mark® Private Selection, the industry’s first-ever custom barrel program. Today, Maker’s Mark is the largest distillery in the world to achieve B Corp Certification, a reflection of the brand’s dedication towards building a more inclusive and sustainable economy. For more information, visit www.makersmark.com.

About Beam Suntory
As a world leader in premium spirits, Beam Suntory inspires human connections. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company’s brands, including the iconic Jim Beam® and Maker’s Mark® bourbon brands and Courvoisier® cognac, as well as world renowned premium brands including Basil Hayden®, Knob Creek®, and Legent™ bourbon; Yamazaki®, Hakushu®, Hibiki® and Toki™ Japanese whisky; Teacher’s, Laphroaig® and Bowmore® Scotch whisky; Canadian Club® whisky; Hornitos® and Sauza® tequila; EFFEN®, Haku® and Pinnacle® vodka; Sipsmith® and Roku™ gin; and On The Rocks® Premium Cocktails.

Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and vision of Growing for Good, which now includes its transformative sustainability strategy, Proof Positive. Headquartered in New York City, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com and www.drinksmart.com. ©2022 Beam Suntory, Inc. New York.