MAKERS MARK...Watered down !

Yeah - saw & thought about posting that . . . Maker's Markdown.

 

Bookers it is, then.....

Or, Elijah Craig!!

 

Is nothing sacred?


When will the madness stop?



Tex, we're just analog guys in a digital world.

 

meh, they already jumped the shark with that silly red wax.

 

Grrrrrrrr


via rubber ducky

 

Perfect example of NOT understanding your consumer. The reason people enjoy it is because it's "90 proof".....I hope people boycott this change....then they WOULDN'T have to worry about keeping up with demand!!!...let it ROT on the shelves!!!...Mark

 

Doesn't make much difference IMO. Their QA dept I'm sure is on it to make
sure the taste is the same.

Much ado about nothing. Great product - great brand.

Jedi

 

so my Makers Mark 96 might go up in value? lol

 

I couldn't resist....

Red wax trademark is # 73526578, first use in commerce September 27, 1958, same years as first production.

I'm an IP geek.

 

I'm afraid so, although they did bring me a new computer yesterday....Wise azz from IT set the screen saver to "random photos"..the Ferrari parts were okay, but when the bikini girls started coming up I had to change it..LOL!

 

You wouldn't need a new computer if you'd quit surfing the porn sites.

 

heard this. I am expecting the "46" to remain the same. Hope eternal.

IF they water both, will start looking for alternatives in that price range, but tough.

 

No, never hit those, it was just 'worn out"...

They keep an eye on us, Big Brother does....I'm on site now but the firewall at home office used to block "guns, lingerie, and alcohol.

I could even reach Mario at his winery!!

 

Maker's Mark® | Maker's Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Handmade Whisky
You spoke. We listened.

Dear Friends,

Since we announced our decision last week to reduce the alcohol content (ABV) of Maker’s Mark in response to supply constraints, we have heard many concerns and questions from our ambassadors and brand fans. We’re humbled by your overwhelming response and passion for Maker’s Mark. While we thought we were doing what’s right, this is your brand – and you told us in large numbers to change our decision.

You spoke. We listened. And we’re sincerely sorry we let you down.

So effective immediately, we are reversing our decision to lower the ABV of Maker’s Mark, and resuming production at 45% alcohol by volume (90 proof). Just like we’ve made it since the very beginning.

The unanticipated dramatic growth rate of Maker’s Mark is a good problem to have, and we appreciate some of you telling us you’d even put up with occasional shortages. We promise we'll deal with them as best we can, as we work to expand capacity at the distillery.

Your trust, loyalty and passion are what’s most important. We realize we can’t lose sight of that. Thanks for your honesty and for reminding us what makes Maker’s Mark, and its fans, so special.

We’ll set about getting back to bottling the handcrafted bourbon that our father/grandfather, Bill Samuels, Sr. created. Same recipe. Same production process. Same product.

As always, we will continue to let you know first about developments at the distillery. In the meantime please keep telling us what’s on your mind and come down and visit us at the distillery. It means a lot to us.

Sincerely,

Rob Samuels
Chief Operating Officer
[email protected]

Bill Samuels, Jr
Chairman Emeritus
[email protected]

 

I appreciate their willingness to listen to their customers, but it still bothers me Makers even thought this was a good idea to begin with. I think anyone who understands business, even slightly, would have foreseen backlash.


Mark

 

It really was an incredibly shortsighted idea from the start.

 

Hell, they were probably drunk at the time. Give 'em a pass for sobering up and making the right choice...

 

Sort of the corporate equivalent of the "walk of shame" the morning after a night of overindulgence and questionable decisions!

I agree with Joker, any time a producer of a premium product even thinks about diluting the quality of the product for any reason, they are making a mistake. While there is no question that the market for high quality bourbon is very competitive, above the rotgut level price and availability is always secondary to preserving the quality and taste of the product. If the volume needs to be reduced because of a shortage of a feedstock material, then the rational market response should be to raise the price, not dilute the product. Revenues from the price increase should offset the reduction in volume and meanwhile the brand image is not damaged in any way.

At least they recognized pretty quickly the error of their ways and had the guts to reverse the decision.

Here is one blogger's take on it as published on Forbes.com:

Maker's Mark Sincerely Apologizes For Almost Diluting Its Bourbon - Forbes

2/17/2013 @ 3:45PM |31,036 views
Maker's Mark Sincerely Apologizes For Almost Diluting Its Bourbon

10 comments, 6 called-out

This morning, Maker’s Mark executives announced that they’re reversing the decision to water down their bourbon, in a classy apology posted to the company’s Facebook page and website.

When the company announced plans to cut the alcohol content in its bourbon from 45 percent (90 proof) to 42 percent (84 proof) due to supply problems, customers were mad. Really mad. Turns out, people would rather deal with a shortage of their favorite bourbon than a shortage of alcohol in their bourbon.

After taking in the backlash, Maker’s Mark had a change of heart. Today, the company tweeted “You spoke. We listened,” with a link to a public apology from COO Rob Samuels and his dad, chairman emeritus Bill Samuels, Jr. Here’s the text of the letter:

The Art Of The Corporate Apology Kate Kiefer LeeContributor

Dear Friends,

Since we announced our decision last week to reduce the alcohol content (ABV) of Maker’s Mark in response to supply constraints, we have heard many concerns and questions from our ambassadors and brand fans. We’re humbled by your overwhelming response and passion for Maker’s Mark. While we thought we were doing what’s right, this is your brand – and you told us in large numbers to change our decision.

You spoke. We listened. And we’re sincerely sorry we let you down.

So effective immediately, we are reversing our decision to lower the ABV of Maker’s Mark, and resuming production at 45% alcohol by volume (90 proof). Just like we’ve made it since the very beginning.

The unanticipated dramatic growth rate of Maker’s Mark is a good problem to have, and we appreciate some of you telling us you’d even put up with occasional shortages. We promise we’ll deal with them as best we can, as we work to expand capacity at the distillery.
Your trust, loyalty and passion are what’s most important. We realize we can’t lose sight of that. Thanks for your honesty and for reminding us what makes Maker’s Mark, and its fans, so special.

We’ll set about getting back to bottling the handcrafted bourbon that our father/grandfather, Bill Samuels, Sr. created. Same recipe. Same production process. Same product.

As always, we will continue to let you know first about developments at the distillery. In the meantime please keep telling us what’s on your mind and come down and visit us at the distillery. It means a lot to us.

Sincerely,

Rob Samuels Chief Operating Officer [email protected]
Bill Samuels, Jr Chairman Emeritus [email protected]

Of course the reversal was primarily a business decision, but this apology is heartfelt and nicely done. Maker’s Mark’s leaders are human, they made a bad decision, and they’re going to make it right. It’s that simple. They didn’t defend their motives or sneak in any excessive marketing. They didn’t even try compromising to cut the difference. Instead, they acknowledged that they let down their customers and promised to return to the original recipe—even if that means more shortages. The letter reminds fans that Maker’s Mark is still a family business, and including their direct email addresses is a meaningful gesture in itself.

We can’t always predict our customers’ feelings, and when we get something wrong, they have every right to tell us they’re mad. The way we respond to angry customers says a lot about our brand, and Maker’s Mark was listening. This sort of transparency goes a long way with customers.

 

Whether they actually did it or not, the fact they considered it was almost as bad.

Our customers have reacted...MM sales are down noticeably for us.

Everyone seems to have switched over to other brands.

LS

Central Liquors - Washington, DC

 

Didn't seem to hurt them too much:

Maker's Mark mistake fuels big Beam profit

 

Not right now...profits are good.

Most of our diehard bourbon drinkers have switched to something else. On premise will flourish because club patrons don't care what is being poured into their cocktail...only that they are getting a trendy bourbon drink.

Reminds me of ceasing to produce a manual transmission. Yes, soccer moms will love it but the real enthusiast will move onto another car.

There are a lot more soccer moms to make $$ off of though.

LS