LORETTO, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sixth graph should read: Bill Samuels, Jr., will officially step down as President and transition to Chairman Emeritus on Friday, April 15th during the 15th running of the Maker’s Mark Mile, a Grade-1 thoroughbred horserace held at the historic Keeneland Racetrack in Lexington, Ky. Several events will be held that weekend in Lexington and at the Maker’s Mark Distillery in Loretto, Ky., for brand Ambassadors and invited guests to celebrate the retirement of the venerable bourbon baron.
The corrected release reads:
Bill Samuels, Jr. to Step Down as President of Maker’s Mark® and Take on New Role as Chairman Emeritus
Samuels Family Legacy Continues with Rob Samuels as COO
In April of this year, Bill Samuels, Jr., will retire as President of Maker’s Mark®, the world's oldest operating bourbon distillery and a National Historic Landmark, and transition into the new role of Chairman Emeritus for the iconic global brand. His son, Rob Samuels, who was appointed Chief Operating Officer in October 2010, will lead the Maker’s Mark organization going forward. The announcement was made by Matthew J. Shattock, President & Chief Executive Officer of Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc.
“Bill Samuels reinvented the way bourbon was marketed at a time when the industry needed it most,” Shattock said. “He forever changed the bourbon industry while building Maker’s Mark into a global brand and staying true to his family’s commitment to handcraftsmanship. We’re pleased that Rob Samuels, as Maker’s Mark Chief Operating Officer, will follow in his footsteps as Bill travels throughout the world on behalf of the brand as Chairman Emeritus.”
Bill Samuels, Jr., has been at the helm of Maker’s Mark for 35 years, and has overseen the growth of the brand from a Kentucky “cult” bourbon into a national icon that gave rise to the modern era of bourbon. Mr. Samuels is the son of Maker’s Mark Founder, Bill Samuels, Sr., and the seventh generation to continue the family’s tradition of bourbon making first started in Kentucky by Robert Samuels in 1784. Since taking over the business from his father in 1975, Maker’s Mark has experienced double-digit growth year-on-year, and the Maker’s Mark Distillery has become one of the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s most popular tourist destinations, attracting more than 100,000 visitors annually from the world over.
“A lot has changed in the spirits industry since we first started selling Maker’s Mark, but I’ve made sure all along that the way we craft our bourbon has remained the same as when we first started,” said Mr. Samuels. “Our heritage and craft is what makes us unique and ensures our quality.”
Samuels continued, “Now that we’ve achieved the milestone of one million cases as a brand, it’s the perfect time to transition the day-to-day running of Maker’s Mark to Rob, who will carry on our family traditions. I look forward to taking on this new role and meeting with our brand fans in markets around the world.”
Bill Samuels, Jr., will officially step down as President and transition to Chairman Emeritus on Friday, April 15th during the 15th running of the Maker’s Mark Mile, a Grade-1 thoroughbred horserace held at the historic Keeneland Racetrack in Lexington, Ky. Several events will be held that weekend in Lexington and at the Maker’s Mark Distillery in Loretto, Ky., for brand Ambassadors and invited guests to celebrate the retirement of the venerable bourbon baron.
Together with his father, Bill Samuels, Jr., created the premium bourbon category. A true pioneer and innovator, Mr. Samuels has forged a rich and enduring legacy, without ever intending to do so. From the brand’s tongue-in-cheek advertising campaigns, to the industry pioneering brand Ambassador Program and the engaging Distillery visitor experience, Mr. Samuels helped transform Maker’s Mark from a bourbon into a lifestyle. Last summer, Mr. Samuels introduced what may well become one of his most defining contributions, Maker’s 46, the highly acclaimed first new bourbon from the Maker’s Mark Distillery in 52 years.
Growing up the son of a bourbon maker, and with Jim Beam as his godfather, everyone expected Mr. Samuels to work in the whisky industry. Always the contrarian and, to the surprise and consternation of many friends and family, Mr. Samuels decided to pursue other interests. He studied rocket science at the Case Institute of Technology and UC Berkley, and then went on to Vanderbilt University, where he earned a law degree before eventually deciding to join the family business and take on the marketing and promotion of what was then an emerging, local “cult” bourbon.
Said Mr. Samuels, “My career has been an incredible journey and, over the last 43 years, I have always stayed true to my fundamental belief that the most successful way to build Maker’s Mark is one brand fan at a time and to let brand fans become our most influential advocates. I have no doubt that the future of Maker’s Mark is in the best of hands with Rob at the helm as COO and that the best is yet to come as the brand’s popularity continues to swell both in the U.S. and internationally.”
About Maker’s Mark
In 1954, at a small Victorian distillery in Loretto, Kentucky, Bill Samuels, Sr., made the first 19 barrels of a totally new whisky, using pure, iron-free, limestone spring water and a mash consisting of yellow corn, barley and red winter wheat that, when aged-to-taste over the next six years, would become Maker’s Mark bourbon. Mr. Samuels created a bourbon that brought “good taste” and “taste-good” together for the first time and, in so doing, heralded the modern era of bourbon. In 2010, in tribute to his father’s spirit of innovation Bill Samuels, Jr., unveiled Maker’s 46, a totally new bourbon which reflects the distinct character of Maker’s Mark but has a bigger, bolder and full bodied taste that is luscious without any hint of bitterness. Today, Maker’s Mark continues to hand make its bourbon exactly the same way Bill Samuels, Sr. did almost 60 years ago, in small batches by skilled craftsmen who hand-cut each label and hand-dip each bottle. Maker’s Mark bourbon whisky (45% alc./vol.) and Maker’s 46 (47% alc./vol.) are distilled, aged and bottled by the Maker’s Mark Distillery, Inc., in Loretto, Kentucky. In 1980, the distillery was designated a National Historic Landmark, becoming the first distillery in America to be so recognized, and has also been decreed as the "world’s oldest operating bourbon whisky distillery” by Guinness World Records. The Maker’s Mark Distillery is one of the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s most popular tourist destinations, attracting more than 100,000 visitors each year. For more information, please visit the Maker’s Mark website (www.makersmark.com).
Maker’s Mark® Bourbon Whisky, 45% Alc./Vol.
© 2010 Maker’s Mark Distillery, Inc, Loretto, KY
MAKER’S MARK MAKES ITS BOURBON CAREFULLY, AND
PLEASE
ENJOY IT THAT WAY.
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