Growing through sustainability
A great story that Doe-Anderson helps tell is Star Hill Farms, an oasis for great bourbon. The sprawling farm not only grows its red winter wheat, but it sits on a limestone shelf southwest of Louisville that filters the bourbon water through a lake on the property. Maker’s Mark owns the entire watershed. That natural water source was a cornerstone of the founders’ vision when the Samuels purchased Star Hill Farm in 1953, as was the understanding of whisky as “nature distilled.”
Through rigorous upgrades and processes, Maker’s Mark has become a Certified B Corporation and the world’s first distillery to achieve Regenified Tier 2 certification. The distillery filled its first Certified Regenified barrel of whisky in November 2023.
Rob Samuels said that his grandparents and parents were conservationists before the term was popular. They saw a vision of how to make better bourbon with better ingredients, which is how they planned Star Hill Farm. The acreage is full of agriculture, apiaries, walking trails, orchards, wheat fields, and an organic garden, along with rustically beautiful buildings that meet the needs of the operation and wow bourbon tourists.
