Humphrey’s joined Drinks International following the successful start to her recent bar engagement programme to discuss the movement of bourbon in the UK.
“American whiskey is booming right now,” said Humphreys. “The variety available in the UK for example has improved dramatically over the past 10 years.
“I think bourbon is very appealing to UK and European consumers because the taste profiles are often more inviting. There are some scotch whiskies which are very overpowering, especially to entry-level consumers.”
The programme, titled The Makers’ is a series of workshops for bartenders focusing on four elements of the brand: wood, wax, wheat and paper.
Each workshop in the bar engagement programme offers information about cocktail menu design, baking bread using red winter wheat, which is used to create Maker’s Mark and personalising wax sealed stamps.
Humphreys added: “I can see bourbon becoming a much larger presence in the bar scene in the UK over the next 10 years. I think bourbon producers are a lot more open to using their products in cocktails.
Experience the art of @ChihulyStudio on the grounds of our historic distillery this July-October: https://t.co/ofiC91lsd0 #ChihulyAtMakers pic.twitter.com/ZfvpPBeHYC
— Maker's Mark (@MakersMark) 15 July 2017
“People like a product with a story and Maker’s Mark is well received everywhere it is sold.”
Maker’s Mark launched its latest expression, Maker’s 46 to the UK last year which is described as a complex but approachable bourbon.
“When people imagine a bourbon cocktail they think of a strong drink, but lighter options like spritzers are popping up on menus,” said Humphreys.
Their distillery in Kentucky welcomes 11,000 visitors a year and 12,000 labels are hand pressed daily by two ladies using machines from the 1930s, and each bottle is hand-dipped in wax to give its signature design.
The distillery has 32 warehouses where the bourbon is aged and it continues to grow as one of the most recognisable bourbon brands in Kentucky, and more recently Europe.
