There are but a handful of labels which still value the beauty of craftsmanship and heritage like Maker’s Mark. This year, the Kentucky-based distillery brings this dedication to Singapore for the first time via a pop-up at Scotts 27.
Held from 3rd to 6th July, the exclusive event is a rare insight into its distillery in the city of Loretto, where the process of creating every single bottle of Maker’s Mark is done exactly the same way as it was by its founders 61 years ago.
Within the historic monochromatic colonial bungalow, guests at the Maker’s Mark distillery experience happily delved first hand into the label’s four pillars of ‘W’s with multi-sensory activities.
Inspired by how the bourbon’s signature soft red winter wheat was discovered after a baking experiment, guests were able to make delicious donuts in the Wheat room, and enjoy them as they were freshly fried on the spot, with an option to top them off with a bourbon chocolate sauce. The grain has been the star of the bourbon’s mash bill since its inception, and has been credited with imparting a front-of-palate sweetness that’s now synonymous with Maker’s Mark.
Meanwhile, the Wood room brings the magic of its wooden barrels to life with not only facts about the timber and barrel selection, but also giving guests the opportunity to stencil their personalised wooden coasters and try their hand at rotating the barrels.
The activities at the Maker’s Mark pop-up continues in the Water room, where an immersive artistic projection of the Kentucky distillery’s limestone shelf and its unique scent takes over the room. The limestone is especially crucial to the production of the bourbon; it not only filters out iron from the water, but helps create a water source that encourages a better sour mash in which the yeast can flourish.
The highlight, however, had to be the Wax room, where guest could see the bottles being dipped before customising the seal with their initials. As one of the Maker’s Mark’s most defining features, the scarlet-hued wax — heated at 400 degrees — is a testament to the brand’s dedication in keeping its time-tested tradition alive, and the unique glassware that guests got to bring home perfectly embodies this spirit.
Of course, the Maker’s Mark experience isn’t complete without a glass (or a few) of its refreshing array of cocktails. Guests had the chance to savour the premium bourbon at the eye-catching cocktail bar and outdoor lawn area as they mingled. To celebrate the 4th of July, the label will also bring the patriotism to town with hearty American fare, proving that you don’t have to travel far to celebrate good bourbon.
Watch the below video to find out what you can expect from the Maker’s Mark experience.
The Maker’s Mark experience will be open to public between 6.30pm to 11pm daily from 3 — 6 July 2019, with the Manhattan Bar — currently rank second on Asia’s 50 Best Bars — doing an exclusive pop-up on the 5th and 6th. Expect hearty American fare by Slake, and be entertained every night with a ‘live’ band; Jack and Rai perform Wednesday and Friday, while Gareth Fernandez performs Thursday and Saturday.