Maker’s Mark Distillery, Loretto, KY (National Historic Landmark)

Maker’s Mark

Beam Suntory (originally T. William Samuels)

The red winter wheat is the whole story. Where rye adds bite and spice, wheat adds softness and sweetness — and that substitution, radical in 1953, gave Maker’s Mark its famously approachable character. Bill Samuels Sr.’s wife Margie designed the iconic hand-dipped red wax seal, and every bottle is still hand-dipped today. It’s a bourbon that proves innovation doesn’t require complexity — sometimes the bravest move is to simplify.