Maker's Mark to reduce alcohol content

[Stewie]

If you like to enjoy your Maker's Mark with a little water, then there's good news. You won't need to add your own water anymore because the distillery will do it for you. The Kentucky distillery behind Maker's Mark is taking some of the alcohol out of their product, going from 90 proof to 84 proof. "Fact is, demand for our bourbon is exceeding our ability to make it," wrote Maker's Mark executives Rob Samuels and Bill Samuels Jr. in an email to clients.

It's really a pretty ingenious way to deal with supply and demand. If you water down your bourbon, you can make more bottles to sell, and when you've lowered the alcohol content of your bourbon, nobody will buy it anymore. Problem solved!

http://now.msn.com/makers-mark-waters-down-bourbon

[Just Passin' By]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

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.

Why would tasting it be necessary? Again, you've spent years pimping your product based upon its formula, and then you changed the formula.

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

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.

It's not a rush to judgment at all. It's leaving a brand that's no longer exactly that brand, and a company that cannot be trusted. Again, Coca Cola learned this. New Coke tested better with people than old Coke in blind tests, but people refused to accept it. Don't blame the people. Blame the company for pissing on customer loyalty to the product itself after the company has tried to build up precisely that. A company can sometimes get away with the "new, improved taste" type of move with lesser known products, but even that tends to fail.

This sort of move isn't a guaranteed failure, but it carries a high risk. For me, as someone who's not a devout drinker of the product, I now know how they are willing to treat their customers, so there's no reason for me to patronize that company when there are so many alternatives.

[R8RFAN]

This is about as dumb as companies selling pre mixed antifreeze

[LoneWolf]

Originally Posted by Just Passin' By

Why would tasting it be necessary? Again, you've spent years pimping your product based upon its formula, and then you changed the formula.




It's not a rush to judgment at all. It's leaving a brand that's no longer exactly that brand, and a company that cannot be trusted. Again, Coca Cola learned this. New Coke tested better with people than old Coke in blind tests, but people refused to accept it. Don't blame the people. Blame the company for pissing on customer loyalty to the product itself after the company has tried to build up precisely that. A company can sometimes get away with the "new, improved taste" type of move with lesser known products, but even that tends to fail.

This sort of move isn't a guaranteed failure, but it carries a high risk. For me, as someone who's not a devout drinker of the product, I now know how they are willing to treat their customers, so there's no reason for me to patronize that company when there are so many alternatives.

FFS quit bringing up Coca Cola in your argument. They completely changed the taste of their product and even renamed it New Coke. Maker's is simply cutting their bourbon with more water which is going to lower the alcohol content as a percentage by volume. They are being very upfront about this and are taking action to make this change temporary. If you take the company at their word, the taste is the same.

Now I ask you, in what way is this the company "pissing on customer loyalty?"

[Bump]

I bet you won't hardly notice the taste or how drunk you get. Look at all these dumb drunks getting pissed over nothing.

Sorry, but if there were a thread about how Cali Kush isn't gonna be as dank, you guys would rip us "stoopid pothead's" apart.

[Fish]

Originally Posted by Just Passin' By

Why would tasting it be necessary? Again, you've spent years pimping your product based upon its formula, and then you changed the formula.




It's not a rush to judgment at all. It's leaving a brand that's no longer exactly that brand, and a company that cannot be trusted. Again, Coca Cola learned this. New Coke tested better with people than old Coke in blind tests, but people refused to accept it. Don't blame the people. Blame the company for pissing on customer loyalty to the product itself after the company has tried to build up precisely that. A company can sometimes get away with the "new, improved taste" type of move with lesser known products, but even that tends to fail.

This sort of move isn't a guaranteed failure, but it carries a high risk. For me, as someone who's not a devout drinker of the product, I now know how they are willing to treat their customers, so there's no reason for me to patronize that company when there are so many alternatives.

... life will never be the same after the Great Maker's Mark failure of 2013. Whoa is me.....

[Rudy tossed tigger's salad]

So far we have suggestions for a scotch and a rye bourbon as alternatives. WHERE ARE YOU BOOZE SNOBS?????

[The Poz]

Put two of them side by side and you won't notice a difference in taste or how gooned you're getting. But, when they tell you that a product you pay good money for is being watered down, you feel cheated.
Do what Wild Turkey did. Let the shelves run bare for a bit, build up your stock, build up the hype then release the hounds.
I'll stay with the Eagle Rare for now. Very nice.
Anyone here into Basil Hayden's? A guy a work swears by it.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Marky-Mark is doing what?
Posted via Mobile Device

[the Talking Can]

"More Water, Same Great Price!"

- Maker's Mark


the slogans write themselves

"We'll piss in it and you'll still buy it"

"When we said it was special, we were just kidding"

fyi, this is the ad copy still up on their website as of 1 minute ago:

Taste
No changes, no compromises, no comparison.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

I love Makers, but as far as an every day drink, I generally won't spring for more than Jim Beam.

[KCUnited]

I'll stick with Amish Pitchfork for special occasions and Minotaur Hoof as my house bourbon anyway.

[Just Passin' By]

Originally Posted by Fish

... life will never be the same after the Great Maker's Mark failure of 2013. Whoa is me.....

That's not what I was saying, and you know it.

[Bewbies]

Originally Posted by Rudy Was Offsides.

So far we have suggestions for a scotch and a rye bourbon as alternatives. WHERE ARE YOU BOOZE SNOBS?????

We have whole threads for that!

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Just Passin' By

Why would tasting it be necessary? Again, you've spent years pimping your product based upon its formula, and then you changed the formula.




It's not a rush to judgment at all. It's leaving a brand that's no longer exactly that brand, and a company that cannot be trusted. Again, Coca Cola learned this. New Coke tested better with people than old Coke in blind tests, but people refused to accept it. Don't blame the people. Blame the company for pissing on customer loyalty to the product itself after the company has tried to build up precisely that. A company can sometimes get away with the "new, improved taste" type of move with lesser known products, but even that tends to fail.

This sort of move isn't a guaranteed failure, but it carries a high risk. For me, as someone who's not a devout drinker of the product, I now know how they are willing to treat their customers, so there's no reason for me to patronize that company when there are so many alternatives.

How have they 'wronged' their customers? They've chosen to freeze the price point and try to produce a product that presents the same drinking experience without resorting to just jacking their prices up.

You're welcome to throw a bitch fit if you'd like, but don't call it something it's not. If you're going to stamp your feet and claim it's because they've 'wronged' their loyal drinkers without even trying it to see if they're still giving you the same experience, it's nothing more than a temper tantrum.

And it's nothing like 'new coke'. New coke failed because they made it taste like generic Pepsi. They were openly and obviously stating that they were trying to change their flavor to appeal to a new crowd and pissing on their loyal drinkers in the process. Maker's is doing the exact opposite, they're trying desperately to make sure that the taste is the same and they're trying to do so in a manner that prevents them from pricing some of their loyal drinkers out of the market.

I honestly think they should be applauded for taking the more gutsy approach and trying to please everyone by keeping the price the same while maintaining the same profile.

[Hammock Parties]

They would probably get less shit if they just raised the price.