Maker's Mark reducing ABV by 3% to meet demand

The recipe is the grain recipe. Not the proof/percentage of alcohol. They're changing their proof spec. They might change their recipe but more likely to adjust water or create a new label with a recipe change.

There is a shortage.

I read the articles as saying this is due to increased demand. That is not the same as shortage. There is the same amount of Makers, just more people buying.

In which case you either create more product, or increase the products price. OR if you want to crap on your customer you just water down the drink.

If you don't have enough product to meet demand, there is a shortage.
I'm sure they have looked at all scenarios to fix the problem, and they decided that running out is not one of them. Produce more? That won't help for another 8-10 years.

There is a shortage.

I read the articles as saying this is due to increased demand. That is not the same as shortage. There is the same amount of Makers, just more people buying.

In which case you either create more product, or increase the products price. OR if you want to crap on your customer you just water down the drink.

If you don't have enough product to meet demand, there is a shortage.
I'm sure they have looked at all scenarios to fix the problem, and they decided that running out is not one of them. Produce more? That won't help for another 8-10 years.

To start with, they created the additional demand by moving into new markets. They had sufficient supplies for their existing markets. They screwed up forecasting the demand for the new markets. They could have easily done what Pappy Van Winkle did and just let the shortages create more demand and a mystique for the product. That letter about a smart thing to do. What they are doing is just throwing water into the face of the customers who made them what they are! It may taste the same, it may not, but the fact remains, they are selling a different product for the same price. In addition to that the product they are selling costs them less to make so their profits will increase.

As a side note, the Samuels already had work underway to increase capacity (I've even seen the new distillation column) prior to being purchased by Jim Beam. Jim Beam delayed the capacity increase project, creating what is occurring today.

Hey, they got two birds with one stone on it...

Increase supply by lowering proof

Decrease demand by lowering proof.

It's a big deal here in KY, but I assume they haven't lost much mass market appeal.

Samuels and Maker's Mark has the right to reduce the % of alcohol in their bourbon and we have the right to look elsewhere to purchase our bourbon......isn't America great?!

Stay tuned it won't be the last!

Stay tuned it won't be the last!

Or the first.

Edit: I cant figure out why MM doing it is such a big deal. The only thing I can figure is because they announced it vs just doing it and hoping no one noticed. Seems like the more honest way, but they arent getting any credit for that.

I saw the new version already on the shelf today at my local liquor store. Obviously, Samuels has had this plan in the pipeline for awhile before announcing it. I stockpiled as much of the old formula that I could. Can you say "New Coke" ?

I saw the new version already on the shelf today at my local liquor store. Obviously, Jim Beam has had this plan in the pipeline for awhile before announcing it. I stockpiled as much of the old formula that I could. Can you say "New Coke" ?

Fixed your statement for you! Hopefully it will go away as fast as New Coke did.

I like Maker's... but Old Forrester is great and significantly less expensive.

This.

The question is why change the product that has made you famous, and not increase the price in the face of increased demand? Are you Ford, or Ferrari?

If you care about the product, if it is your life's work, you increase the price. If you don't care, you cheapen it.

If you want to compromise, you could make a lower proof alternative like Wild Turkey did while keeping your premium product. I just don't see the "necessity" for this move that they are making from their explanation. If your product is so popular, the market will bare the price increase.

I could not imagine shafting my customers on quality, to make my product "stretch".

SWS has apparently around 500 cases of the "old stuff " in their warehouse.
We average around 60 cases a year, I am kinda curious what the impact of the Woodford, Forrester, Beam..etc..sales are going to be this year?

I am not a bourbon drinker myself but it always seemed to me that MM drinkers seldom drank it neat anyway. When I bartended MM drinkers usually added some sort of sweet soda. In which case, what would it matter?

SWS has apparently around 500 cases of the "old stuff " in their warehouse.
We average around 60 cases a year, I am kinda curious what the impact of the Woodford, Forrester, Beam..etc..sales are going to be this year?

Depends on the size. We received 2 cases of 1.75s of the new stuff today. That is the size that Makers/SWS was out of at end of last year. Even after getting them back in stock mid January, they were on allotment with SWS. Makes sense that SWS was trying to manage stock before the announcement and switch. I would imagine they will also sell the remaining stock the same way. I am sure more than one big box has called and inquired about buying all of the old juice.

Since the announcement, makers sales have been brisk. But that was the old juice. I would guess this news has little to no impact on makers sales globally. Despite being the bourbon capital of the world, we make up a very small percentage of overall bourbon sales.

there's a new thread on this topic, but it should be noted here

Maker's Mark reverses decision to cut amount of alcohol in whiskey, restores historic level