cades of making bourbon privately. "In fact,
it's highly likely that it was a Keeneland
representative who had the first ever sip of
commercially-available Maker's Mark."
Back in in the late '50s, it was Samuels's
grandfather, Bill Samuels, Sr., who was try-
ing to get his fledgling operation off the
ground when he approached Keeneland of-
ficials about stocking their bars with Mak-
er's Mark. The officials were impressed
and promptly agreed, and race fans quickly
embraced Maker's Mark as a label that es-
chewed the 'hotness' of many whiskies of
the day in favor of a smooth, slightly sweet
sipping bourbon. Word spread about Mak-
er's Mark, and the seeds of what today is a
true whiskey rebellion were sown.
"Put simply, the Maker's Mark brand
wouldn't exist as it does today without the
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