Red wax, wheated mash, no shortcuts. Shop Maker's Mark online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — the hand-dipped icon from Loretto, Kentucky, its stave-finished siblings, and the limited releases, all available to order online.
Related collections: Bourbon Whiskey | Buffalo Trace | Pappy Van Winkle | Knob Creek
The Wheated Original from Star Hill Farm
Maker's Mark began with Bill Samuels Sr., who burned his family's old recipe and rebuilt bourbon around soft red winter wheat instead of rye — trading spice bite for a softer, bread-and-caramel sweetness that made the brand famous. His wife Margie designed nearly everything else drinkers know: the name (a "maker's mark" was a silversmith's stamp of quality), the label, and the hand-dipped red wax seal still applied bottle by bottle at the Loretto distillery. Barrels are still rotated by hand through the rickhouse for even aging. The family has grown carefully: Maker's Mark 46 is finished with seared French oak staves for added spice and depth, the Cask Strength bottling pours the flagship uncut, and Cellar Aged — matured in the distillery's limestone cellar — is the oldest expression the brand has released.
It is the bourbon that taught America what wheated bourbon tastes like, and the wax still stops shoppers mid-aisle.
Order Maker's Mark online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — every crooked dip of red wax included.
Maker's Mark FAQs
Why does Maker's Mark use wheat instead of rye?
Founder Bill Samuels Sr. wanted a softer, gentler bourbon. Wheat in place of rye delivers a rounder, sweeter profile with less spice bite — the defining style of wheated bourbon.
What is the difference between Maker's Mark and Maker's Mark 46?
The 46 starts as fully matured Maker's Mark, then finishes with seared French oak staves inserted into the barrel — adding vanilla, baking spice, and a longer, woodier finish.
Is every bottle really hand-dipped in wax?
Yes — bottles are still dipped by hand at the Loretto, Kentucky distillery, which is why no two wax seals look exactly alike, and why drippy "slam dunk" dips are prized by collectors.