the year, so rotating the barrels ensures that the bourbon in all the barrels has the same quality and taste. Maker's Mark is marketed as a small batch Bourbon. Most producers of so-called small batch Bourbons do not clarify exactly what they mean by the term. The producer of Maker's Mark says that the traditional definition is "A bourbon that is produced/distilled in small quantities of approximately 1,000 gallons or less (20 barrels) from a mash bill of around 200 bushels of grain". Maker's Mark is sold in squarish bottles that are sealed with red wax. T. William Samuels' wife, Marjorie "Margie" Samuels, gave the whiskey its name, drew its label, and thought up the wax dipping that gives the bottle its distinctive look. It was introduced to the market in 1959. Three varieties are marketed: the original, bottled at 90 U.S. proof (45% alcohol by volume); a mint julep flavor with green wax on the neck released seasonally in limited amounts; and Maker's 46 (47% alcohol by volume), a variety flavored by introducing seared French oak staves into the traditional charred white oak barrel toward the end of its aging. As of 2021, Maker's Mark is now available at up to 57% alcohol content (114 proof). Maker's Mark is, along with George Dickel and Old Forester, one of a handful of American-made whiskies that uses the Scottish spelling "whisky" rather than the predominant American "whiskey". Bourbon House & Lounge Maker's Mark began creating branded restaurants with the October 2004 opening of Maker's Mark Bourbon House & Lounge in the Fourth Street Live! entertainment complex in Downtown Louisville, Kentucky. In addition to serving Maker's Mark it features bourbons from each of Kentucky's distilleries. The menu was designed by Chef Al Paris of the former jazz club Zanzibar Blue restaurant in Philadelphia. A second such establishment opened in Kansas City, Missouri's downtown Power & Light District in 2008, and a third at the Indiana Live Casino in Shelbyville, Indiana just outside Indianapolis in March, 2009. Reviews Maker's Mark bourbon has earned solid marks at international Spirits ratings competitions. Its primary bourbon earned a gold medal at the 2010 San Francisco World Spirit Ratings Competition and a score of 90–95 from Wine Enthusiast in 2007. The Maker's Mark 46—which benefits from longer aging and exposure to toasted French oak staves—has earned similar ratings. Jane MacQuitty, spirits writer for The London Times, said