[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 46 (Friday, April 1, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E596]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRATULATING BILL SAMUELS ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT FROM 
                              MAKER'S MARK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HAROLD ROGERS

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 1, 2011

  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor, commend 
and congratulate Mr. Bill Samuels, Jr. as he retires from his post as 
president of Maker's Mark. The Commonwealth of Kentucky is known across 
the world for its horses as well as its whiskey, in no small part 
because of the expert craftsmanship and emphasis on quality of Mr. 
Samuels, following in the footsteps of the seven generations of bourbon 
distillers in his family. It is fitting that Mr. Samuels will say ``so 
long,'' though certainly not goodbye to his life's work, at the 
Thoroughbreds & Redheads event in conjunction with the Maker's Mark 
Mile race at Lexington's beautiful Keeneland racecourse.
  Mr. Samuels' storied career in Loretto is marked by a strong 
commitment to tradition and entrepreneurship. Maker's Mark is the 
product of the nation's oldest operating bourbon distillery, and during 
its celebrated history, its timeless quality has been recognized with 
numerous awards.
  But Mr. Samuels was unwilling to allow Maker's Mark to rest on its 
laurels. During his career, Mr. Samuels revitalized the brand by 
developing clever advertising marked by clean, stark design that 
accentuated his wit while adapting the culture of Kentucky for 
consumption across the United States and around the world. From a 
billboard in New York's financial district alluding to Maker's Mark's 
trademark wax with the slogan ``trickle-down economics'' to a print ad 
proclaiming ``If we could make it any faster, we wouldn't,'' Mr. 
Samuels' efforts are omnipresent, eye-catching, and memorable, 
transforming Maker's Mark into a thoroughly modern brand while bringing 
along a bit of Kentucky spirit.
  Under his apt stewardship, Maker's Mark has achieved a historic 
milestone by selling one million cases annually of what is perhaps 
Kentucky's best known export. The success of Maker's Mark is a 
reaffirmation of Kentucky's love of tradition, vibrant economy, and 
good taste. In his forty-four years tirelessly working to expand his 
family's business and better his community by producing a true Kentucky 
original, Mr. Samuels has captured the culture and heritage of the 
Commonwealth in the bourbon handcrafted in the fabled oak barrels of 
Marion County and has shared it with the world. I wish to congratulate 
Mr. Samuels upon his retirement for his decades of dedication as a 
global ambassador of our state and to wish him the best in whatever 
endeavors his future may hold.

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