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www.cheersonline.com 35 June 2016 • ON THE ROAD Bourbon Battles bartender com- petition. The unique and smooth expression was designed to appeal to bourbon fans as well as newbies. As a hotel, Simbrat said, "We have to be able to serve bour- bon to everyone, from people who have never had it before to connoisseurs." Based on positive feedback from the fi rst barrel, the hotel plans to produce another barrel later this year. The hotel chain was the bourbon brand's fi rst national account. The Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington was the fi rst retail- er to participate in the Private Select program; it was also the bourbon brand's very fi rst cus- tomer. Keeneland selected one of the Baked American Pure 2 oak staves, three of the Seared French Cuvee, one Maker's 46, three Roasted French Mocha and two Toasted French Spice. MARK MAKERS A visit to the Maker's Mark distillery revealed more about the company's history and the bourbon production process. Rob Samuels, chief operating offi cer at Maker's Mark and 8th-generation distiller (his grandparents, Bill and Margie Samuels, started the Marker's Mark brand) led a tour of the facilities and tasting. His grandmother, who helped lay out and design the distillery, deserves credit for inventing bour- bon tourism, Samuels said. She also came up with the name and packaging, including the idea to hand-dip the bottles in red wax. Margie Samuels was inducted into the Bourbon Hall of Fame in 2014. Bourbon is the fastest-growing spirit in the U.S., driven in part by Millennials "who are interested in a product's providence and histo- ry," Samuels said. That's good for a brand like Maker's Mark and likely signals "the beginning of what will be a period of sustained growth," he said. Top and right side, a tasting at the Griffent Gate Marriot Resort & Spa in Lexington, KY, showcases the effect of the fi nishing staves on the Private Select bourbons, The Mansion at the Griffi n Gate Marriott, a 19th-century antebellum event space. Left center, The Spirit of the Maker, a 36-ft. by 6-ft. glass installation by artist Dale Chihuly, in one of Maker's Mark's distillery rack houses. Above left, Rob Samuels, chief operating offi cer at Loretto, KY- based Maker's Mark and 8th-generation distiller. Lexington, KY