[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4606]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING MR. BILL SAMUELS, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ED WHITFIELD

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 29, 2011

  Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Bill 
Samuels for his extraordinary career with Maker's Mark. Mr. Samuels is 
retiring from his position as President of Maker's Mark, the world's 
oldest operating bourbon distillery. As the seventh generation 
distiller in his family, bourbon was a part of Bill's life from the 
beginning, and just as his own father made Maker's Mark a unique 
product, Bill made the world famous brand his own through innovative 
marketing and large scale production with home-grown Kentucky flavor.
  When he took over the helm of Maker's Mark 35 years ago, Bill used 
unmatched and unprecedented creativity to reinvent the way the world 
understood and appreciated bourbon. He paired a family recipe with a 
marketing campaign that brought out a little bit of Kentucky in people 
across the world. Bill left no event, newsmaker, or story off his list 
of characteristic jokes, and his knack for simple one-liners lured 
patrons to Maker's Mark through thousands of unforgettable 
advertisements. The world responded to Bill's humor in a big way--by 
buying all the bourbon he could make and elevating Maker's Mark to a 
worldwide symbol of excellence.
  Like the ads that graced pages across the world, Bill's instructions 
for production of his family's legacy were simple and clear--``don't 
screw it up.'' One of the few things Bill made no joke about during his 
tenure was that no amount of success could compromise the taste of each 
and every drop of bourbon.
  Bill's world renowned success and innovative marketing techniques 
never lost sight of the home grown taste of Kentucky in each family-
made bottle. The distillery in Kentucky remains the only spirits 
related National Historical Landmark in the world, and a tradition that 
Kentucky is proud to share. Under Bill's careful watch, no bottle of 
Maker's Mark traveled across the globe without bringing a piece of 
Kentucky pride with it.
  During his 44 years long career with the family company, Mr. Samuels 
brought a piece of history and a piece of Kentucky to households, bars, 
and restaurants around the world. I congratulate my friend, Bill 
Samuels, on his extraordinary success throughout his time with Maker's 
Mark. Thank you, Bill, and best wishes for you in your next endeavors.

                          ____________________