The Oldest Bourbon Distillery In The World Belongs To An Iconic Brand

Bourbon is officially an American spirit, with roots going all the way back to the nation's infancy. In 1964, the U.S. Senate declared bourbon to be "a distinctive product of the United States," meaning legally, bourbon is only considered official if it's distilled in America and follows strict regulations, like barrel aging. Even non-alcoholic bourbon adheres to these standards. So, it's no surprise that the world's oldest bourbon distillery is found in the United States and that it belongs to one of the biggest names in the industry: Maker's Mark.

Before Maker's Mark, the Samuels family had distilled bourbon since 1779. However, they did not start producing bourbon commercially until they bought the Burks Spring brand's flagship distillery in 1953 and officially opened it the following year. The distillery had been vacant since 1919 when it was forced to close during Prohibition.

Margie Samuels had to differentiate this new-to-them distillery from the Samuels family name, as its rights had been sold. She landed on the new name thanks to her hobby of collecting English pewter pieces that were stamped with a manufacturer's designation — or a "maker's mark."

The Maker's Mark distillery is located in Loretto, KY, on a property known as Star Hill Farm. While it is the world's oldest operating bourbon distillery, it is not the world's first commercial one. That honor belongs to Evan Williams and his namesake bourbon brand. In 1783, Williams opened the first commercial distillery in what would eventually become the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Maker's Mark and Evan Williams are in good company, being in Kentucky. Although it wasn't always the bourbon capital of the country, it is a commonly accepted, although debatable, stat claim that 95% of the world's supply of bourbon is distilled within the state. Kentucky celebrates its place in history with the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, a tourism experience that includes 46 major brand and craft distilleries where visitors can book tours and tastings — just be sure to follow proper whiskey-tasting etiquette during your experience. Along with Maker's Mark and Evan Williams, other participating distilleries include Angel's Envy, Bulleit, and Four Roses.