"Maker's Mark has always believed that the best bourbon experiences are the ones people talk about long after the last pour," said Regan Clarke, vice president of American Whiskey, Suntory Global Spirits. "With the Perfectly Unreasonable Bar, we brought Maker's Mark into culture in a way that felt immersive, elevated and distinctly unexpected — transforming an extraordinary setting in Aspen into an unforgettable bourbon moment."
The bar in Aspen marked the launch of the brand's traveling Perfectly Unreasonable Bar series. Maker's Mark will continue to bring elevated bourbon hospitality to extraordinary locations where the setting becomes part of the occasion itself. In Aspen, guests ascended by gondola for an evening above the clouds, complete with golden-hour views, music from DJ Ryan Golbus and handcrafted, high-altitude cocktails. At the summit, guests moved through an interactive whisky sour service before arriving at the bar: a striking structure perched at 11,212 feet above sea level.
The centerpiece of the evening was the Summit Sour, a signature cocktail designed for elevation, featuring Maker's Mark bourbon fat-washed with cocoa butter, blended with local strawberry, and a malted wheat and honey syrup. Served on nitro draft, the cocktail delivered a creamy, full-bodied texture in thinner mountain air, pairing altitude-driven technique with locally inspired flavor.
"When my grandparents founded Maker's Mark, my grandmother Margie essentially invented bourbon tourism by inviting people out to our distillery in Loretto—a place that was, and still is, famously off the beaten path," said Rob Samuels, eighth generation whisky maker and managing director of Maker's Mark. "She taught us that if you ask people to make a journey, you have to exceed their expectations. Taking our hospitality to 11,212 feet is the modern continuation of that belief. We traded the rolling hills of Kentucky for the summit of Aspen Mountain, proving that our commitment to creating unforgettable experiences doesn't stop at sea level."
Maker's Mark also offered tastings and cocktail experiences throughout the 2026 Food & Wine Classic festival weekend. Inside the Grand Tasting Pavilion, the brand hosted a sensory bourbon tasting paired with curated bites by chef and creator Owen Han. Maker's Mark also served as the signature cocktail pour at the festival's iconic Top of the Mountain Party.
Join the Maker's Mark Ambassadors community to learn more about upcoming events, product releases and other benefits, visit makersmark.com/ambassadors.
For more information, please visit makersmark.com.
About Maker's Mark
Maker's Mark® is the iconic handmade Kentucky bourbon driven by a vision for better flavor and a better world. In 1953, founders Margie and Bill Samuels, Sr. broke from tradition—burning the family's 170-year-old recipe to create a bold, balanced bourbon made with soft red winter wheat for signature sweetness and creaminess. From the start, the Samuels went to remarkable lengths to craft uncompromisingly delicious bourbon—a perfectly unreasonable spirit that endures today. Every bottle is still hand-dipped in red wax, every barrel rotated by hand and every decision guided by the brand's higher purpose.
Staying true to its founders' vision, Maker's Mark has expanded its portfolio with award-winning, super-premium expressions, including Maker's Mark 46, Cask Strength, and Cellar Aged, as well as Private Selection, the brand's custom barrel program. In 2025, the distillery debuted Star Hill Farm Whisky, its first-ever wheat whisky. Award-winning and the first to earn Estate Whiskey certification, Star Hill Farm Whisky inspired the Maker's Mark Regenerative Alliance, a bold commitment to advance regenerative farming beyond its business, inviting farms, bars and restaurants to join the movement.
Maker's Mark is proud to be both B Corp and Regenified Certified – milestones driven by the sustainability leadership at Star Hill Farm, home of the Maker's Mark Distillery, which strives to be the most endearing, culturally rich and environmentally responsible homeplace in the world. Learn more at www.makersmark.com.
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Maker's Mark® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky, 56.65-59.4% Alc./Vol. ©2026 Maker's Mark Distillery, Inc., Loretto, KY.
SOURCE Maker's Mark
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