Makers Mark to water down is bourbon due to increasing demand.

[Catonahottinroof]

http://money.cnn.com/2013/02/10/news/makers-mark-bourbon/


Makers is not my bourbon of choice, but I think this move harms the brand in my opinion.

[KSRBEvans]

BEvans to decline buying Makers Mark due to watering it down. And I can't imagine I'm the only one.

Wow--huge PR blunder. Possibly fatal.

[suncat05]

Well, they just lost my business, and I've been a Maker's Mark drinker since my early 20's. If I want it watered down I'll drink it on the rocks.

[badrose]

They'll probably come back around. Would it have been better if they just jacked up the price?

[dan_bgblue]

Well, they just lost my business, and I've been a Maker's Mark drinker since my early 20's. If I want it watered down I'll drink it on the rocks.

Good deal. Now you can experiment a little and find a decent bourbon.:evilgrin0007:

When your current supply of MM runs out I recommend Elijah Craig as a good staring point in your search.

[Darrell KSR]

Heard a comedian this morning talking about a woman who had shot her husband. Unfunny topic, but those are sometimes the funniest sources. He said the woman's defense was, "she had no other choice."

The comedian went down that road--"let's see, I'm making a list, and I've run out of choices. Only one left is to kill my husband."

That's what Makers is doing here. Killing their husband because they have no other choice.

No other choice? Really?

They couldn't lower the alcohol level on some of their bourbon, and drop the price of it to reflect that water is cheaper than alcohol, and provide their customary alcohol content for the other?

They couldn't raise the price of the customary bourbon always sold, which might reduce sales somewhat, but allow them to meet needs?

They couldn't expand their facilities to produce more, without changing the formula and watering it down nearly 7%?

They coudn't produce a "global version" for international sales, and a "U.S. version," for those that have purchased it for many years?

NO other choice?

Lady, you always have another choice. Ask your husband (customer). He'll tell you.

[Catfan73]

Big mistake. Most of their marketing is geared toward the impression that MM is a step above your average bourbon and this flies in the face of that. This gives the impression that it's just another mass-produced run of the mill whiskey. My guess is that they knew people would notice, so they decided they'd better announce the change and just hope it would pass with little fanfare. It doesn't bother me because I really don't like it, but it sure sounds like they're making a big mistake.

[CitizenBBN]

Probably long term fatal, certainly crippling.

[Catonahottinroof]

Makers isn't what I have on hand, or out at a bar. I prefer Woodford or 4 Roses small batch. I have purchased Makers in a pinch, also have commemorative UK bottles.

Other distillers are bound to take advantage of the piss poor marketing involved in this decision.

[blueboss]

"Fact is, demand for our bourbon is exceeding our ability to make it, which means we're running very low on supply," wrote Rob Samuels, the company COO.

After this move they will have ample supply to provide to their foreign markets.

[suncat05]

Good deal. Now you can experiment a little and find a decent bourbon.:evilgrin0007:

When your current supply of MM runs out I recommend Elijah Craig as a good staring point in your search.

Actually, I am quite fond of both 4 Roses & Woodford Reserve. I like Buffalo Trace as well. There are options available, absolutely outside the realm of Maker's Mark. I am just amazed that a company such as this, that has been in business for as long as they have been and that has been so successful, would actually believe that doing this, making this move and announcing it like they did, could be a wise business move that would increase their sales.
Whoever made this marketing decision needs to go back to business school and re-think this position. JMHO. I will not buy their product if this stands.

[MickintheHam]

Hell, rather than water it down, why don't they cut it with a little TW Samuels. Certainly they are not running out of that???:rockon:

[CattyWampus]

Casual bourbon drinkers won't think much about this, but serious MM drinkers will revolt. I saw where the reduction will allow them to increase production by 6% to help meet the demand. I suspect they'll lose more than 6% of their customers. Loyal MM customers will not stand for it and they'll find another brand, even if it costs them a little more.

[Catonahottinroof]

After the ensuing backlash, Makers thinks its original strength is a pretty good idea.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/t/story/makers-mark-restore-alcohol-content-whiskey-18524914

[Catfan73]

Publicity stunt?

[Catonahottinroof]

Publicity stunt?

If so, it was poorly crafted.

[Catfan73]

In spite of their claim of shortages they've undoubtedly lost some market share to some of the small batch premiums now readily available like Woodford Reserve and Elijah Craig. Now they've received a ton of free publicity placing their brand back among the elite, even going as far as claiming that their stuff will be harder to get.

My guess is that it won't be any harder to get than it ever was.

[Catonahottinroof]

I'm indifferent. It's not my brand of choice. However, die hard Makers consumers were not happy in the least. Harming the core buyer is never a good idea, especially when better bourbons are out there to take up the slack.

[CitizenBBN]

The better plan would be to announce you had considered cutting it b/c of the high demand but decided against it. This smells more like one of those "New Coke" level mistakes.

[Catonahottinroof]

Or just raise the price and curb demand. Not only have the dicked with the recipe, now they are rising he price to boot.

One black eye tends to be better than two.

I used to think my employer was hokey about focus group testing prior to marketing. It works and MM would have been well served to test its ideas prior to marketing a bad one.

[bigsky]

Good for those of us who buy whiskey at bars who use Makers as their top bourbon,

[Doc]

Publicity stunt?

I would agree. Rather than water down, why not increase production or raise the price. If the demand is so high, why change what you are doing. I suspect more for the publicity.