Summary<\/p>\n
The Chihuly exhibition at Maker\u2019s Mark connects the distillery\u2019s brand to art and sustainability.
\nThe \u201cSummer of Sours\u201d program is a new marketing strategy that uses cultural collaborations to sell a lifestyle, not just a product.<\/p>\n
Last week, I got on a plane and flew to Louisville then hopped in a car to Bardstown, Kentucky. My destination was Maker\u2019s Mark<\/a>, where glass artist Dale Chihuly has an exhibition running through December with tours available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Chihuly\u2019s glass installations amplified the place, mounted across the brand\u2019s Star Hill Farm. In the main cellar, a massive chandelier of twisted glass hung above rows of barrels. The work was a sharp, powerful piece and though its colorful forms contrasted with the cellar\u2019s pared-down atmosphere, the artist picked a commanding spot for the work to really shine. Chihuly\u2019s work, which bends fire and sand into glass forms that look alive, sat inside a property focused on renewal. The art underscored the distillery\u2019s larger effort to show how whiskey-making can support the environment.\n<\/p>\n Maker\u2019s Mark is investing heavily in regenerative farming across Star Hill Farm, working to restore soil health and biodiversity. It\u2019s not just a general effort. On a short tour, Amanda Humphrey<\/a>, the StarHill Farm Advocacy & Experience Manager, showed us the land and eco-friendly processes. She pointed out their active involvement in American white oak conservation through a partnership with the University of Kentucky. The distillery has established the world\u2019s largest repository of American white oak at Star Hill Farm to protect and study a species crucial for Kentucky bourbon.\n<\/p>\n At some point in the trip we got to experience the Maker\u2019s Mark \u201cSummer of Sours<\/a>\u201d program. They had just launched an experience made in collaboration with the hosting shop Big Night. The idea was to reframe the whiskey sour as a summer staple by providing a blueprint for new forms of hosting with styled cocktail recipes and curated glassware.\n<\/p>\n Driving out of Starhill, it was clear that Maker\u2019s Mark is positioning itself as more than a distillery. The Chihuly installations were striking on their own, but together with the farm\u2019s regenerative push and the program, they showed a brand trying to expand how people experience bourbon in contemporary culture.<\/p>\n