I admit to being completely clueless about booze...therefore I am asking.

Educate me, drunkard.

No, they wouldn't.

and if people are drinking to get drunk, they can always switch to something with more Alcohol in it.

1) Freeze the glass - don't add water to a good (expensive) drink.

2) Learn blends. Malts. How many malts? Filters. Age. All plays in to the taste of the drink.

3) Play stupid and taste for free. You're in shape - find a gay bartender and ask him what the difference is. You won't have much difficulty selling yourself as a legitimate opportunity.

If you feel guilty remind yourself that women do this every single day and get drunk for free (I don't know what the kids call it now but it use to be "milking a man.")

If it tastes the same, which is a substantial if, then I don't see the problem. You aren't paying for the alcohol level. You're paying for the (in the case of Maker's, overrated) flavor profile.

One fewer brand to have to choose from.

It's the best of the middle area.

It's like buying a Sony/Pioneer receiver...

Would you be happier if they raised the price of the same product? This was strictly a business decision. They could've raised the price and less people could enjoy their product, or do what they have chosen to do and up their supply by cutting their bourbon with more water while still maintaining the same taste.

I thought the owner did an excellent job of explaining this decision and how upfront the company is being concerning this decision is refreshing. In the end, if the taste is the same, who gives a shit? If your drinking Maker's Mark to get drunk, you are wasting your money. Go buy something cheaper like Old Crow if all you want to do is get wasted.

I'm not interested in drinking. I just want to know if you can REALLY tell the difference between 84 proof and 90 proof, especially when you're shitfaced.

It sounds like drunkard elitism.

Makers is out in a lot of places. I need to see if Costco still has any batches left.

I always liked Makers with a few drops of water in it...

One could always switch the Buffalo Trace if this pissed them off enough, it's better anyway.

You'll find a lot of that.

I love a good scotch and I've kinda developed some of the drunkard elitism as well when it comes to scotches and red wines. Bourbons I don't drink enough of to really get riled up about, but I certainly recognize the breed.

I do think it's absurd that so many people are 'swearing off' Maker's Mark without even trying the new batch and I do think there's an excellent chance they'd have never known the difference had they not been told.

When a company changes its formula, they face customer backlash. It's not snobbery. It's comfort, and faith in the product. This isn't shrinking the bottle by a few ounces, this is screwing with the drink itself. You've built up your brand by talking about its greatness, and you risk pissing away all of the accumulated goodwill and loyalty by changing what you claimed was great.

Coca Cola learned that.

I don't have to worry about it as I'm not a huge fan of Makers Mark anyway. I enjoy bourbon, and I'm always trying different ones. I'm supposed to love Makers, but when I drink it, it's just meh. I like Knob Creek a whole ton better. Hell, I like Evan Williams better than Makers.

So...this news means precisely dick to me. Except when I go over to the old man's place, he is a Maker's guy.

And one would think that those loyal customers that are subjecting you to such backlash would at least...I dunno...try it before flipping their shit.

And I see no way that Maker's doesn't make a 'premium' version that they do raise the price on so that folks that insist they can take the difference will have a way to spend more money on stuff that tastes the same.

It's just an odd rush to judgment with so many people already writing Makers off altogether without even seeing what they're going to produce.

Hey! Makers Mark!

know how I know yer gay?