Maker’s Mark is one of the most popular wheat-based bourbons. The distillery uses soft red winter wheat, which gives their whiskey a soft character resembling freshly-baked bread. It is an excellent mixer for cocktails or soda mixers.
Because Maker’s Mark whiskey has a diverse range of tastes, you can easily mix it with a wide variety of sodas and mixers. From the go-to Coke to ginger ale to sparkling apple cider, it blends beautifully and plays nicely with the other ingredients. For a unique experience, you could use the French Absinthe ritual and prepare a glass of Maker’s Mark as if you are preparing absinthe.
We’ll examine the soda and sparkling mixer options before moving on to classic and modern cocktails. Finally, we’ll explore the two unique ingredients—sugar and maple syrup.
Soda and Sparkling Mixers
There are several options for those who just want a plain drink without the fuss of mixing up cocktails. Let’s explore them below.
Coca-Cola
We’d be in serious trouble if we didn’t include Coca-Cola in this list. Whiskey and Coke are perhaps among the most iconic pairings in the world of drinks.
Simply fill a highball glass with lots of ice, add two ounces of Maker’s Mark, and top it off with Coke.
For dessert, why not make a whiskey-and-coke float?
Simply ditch the ice, add two ounces of whiskey and a (generous) scoop of ice cream, and slowly top it up with Coke.
We recommend using a large beer mug or a vintage parfait glass for this ultimate Summer delicacy.
Ginger Ale
For something fizzy, go for a ginger ale to top off your bourbon.
To spruce things up, add a dash of bitters or a premium ginger liqueur to give it more character.
Best served in a tall glass because it tastes like more!
Sparkling Apple Cider
The recipe calls for one part of Maker’s Mark, a maraschino cherry, and chilled sparkling apple cider.
Drop the cherry in a champagne flute, add Maker’s Mark, and top it with sparkling apple cider.
Add a dash of bitters to give it more depth and tanginess.
Pernon-Bourbon Spritz
This one’s an aperitif, but the addition of club soda puts it in the sparkling category for us. Pernod is an anise-flavored liqueur (the legal substitute for absinthe).
With the addition of caramelly Maker’s Mark bourbon, they play well with club soda and a dash of bitters.
Classic and Modern Cocktails
Because of Maker’s Mark’s versatility can also be used in a wide variety of classic and modern cocktails.
Manhattan
The Manhattan is delicious in its simplicity: two ounces of Maker’s Mark, one ounce of sweet vermouth, and two dashes of bitters.
Strain and serve in a coupe glass.
For a Perfect Manhattan, you’ll split the vermouth between one part sweet and one part dry.
Whiskey Sour
No list would be complete without the Whiskey Sour, and we intend to keep it that way.
The origins are lost to time, but luckily we can still make the Whiskey Sour today. You can substitute the egg white with aquafaba to make a vegan-friendly Whiskey Sour.
The egg white helps to make the drink smooth and combat the tartness of the lime juice.
Old Fashioned
Known as the grandfather of cocktails, the first Old Fashioned was mixed in 1806.
Essentially, it is the very definition of a cocktail: a spirit, water, sugar, and bitters. Making an Old Fashioned requires patience—use granulated sugar or a sugar cube if you want to opt for authenticity and add the bitters to it in a glass.
Next, add a teaspoon of water and mix it all until the sugar is nearly dissolved.
Next, you’ll fill the glass with ice, add Maker’s Mark, and stir everything together until it is well-chilled.
Strain into a rock glass over a large ice cube.
Take your orange peel, express the oil over it, and drop it into the glass as a final garnishing touch.
Bourbon Rickey
For once, an ‘original’ cocktail—most of us are familiar with the Gin Rickey, but the predecessor is the Bourbon Rickey.
Simply fill a highball glass with ice, squeeze the juice from half a lime into it and drop the lime in.
Add 1½ ounces of Maker’s Mark and top your glass with water or club soda.
Pure refreshment during those scorching days in summer.
Paper Plane
One of the easiest cocktails to make because all the ingredients use the same proportions.
It combines equal parts of Maker’s Mark bourbon, lime juice, Amaro, and Aperol Appertivo. Shake everything together in a shaker, strain, and serve.
Unique Ingredients To Add
No list of Maker’s Mark would be complete without some unique ingredients which complement the bourbon and brings out the best of both.
Sugar
If you’re a whiskey snob who believes whiskey should never be mixed with water, skip the next section. If you’re brave enough, then read on.
Being a wheat bourbon, Maker’s Mark is naturally sweeter than other types of bourbon. Adding added sweetness won’t hurt this bourbon’s sweetness.
Instead of mixing up an Old Fashioned, I went a completely different route one evening (out of pure curiosity).
I followed the French Absinthe ritual: I placed two ounces of Maker’s Mark in a stemmed glass, laid an absinthe spoon across the top, and placed a sugar cube on top of the spoon.
Then the fun started!
I soaked the sugar cube with ice-cold mineral water—drop by drop—to saturate it with water until it dissolved slowly.
Then, slowly and drop by drop, I added water until all the sugar was dissolved.
Unfortunately, I did not end up with a louche (the milky cloud that forms in the glass) as you would with absinthe. Still, the result was a delightful drink that brought out the bourbon’s unique taste.
Yeah, I know it is just sugar water and bourbon, but it was a fun and tasty little experiment.
Maple Syrup
Maple syrup goes with almost anything all the time. The truth is even more evident when it comes to Maker’s Mark—it will bring out the sweetness and depth of the bourbon while adding an earthy and woody tone to the whiskey.
Use maple syrup instead of a sugar cube when mixing up an Old Fashioned, or just add a teaspoon of maple syrup to your whiskey, kick back, and sip it neat.
You could also swap out the simple syrup in any recipe with maple syrup to add sweetness and depth to your cocktails.
Conclusion
There you have it. Maker’s Mark is the perfect whiskey to mix up all kinds of drinks, from mixing sodas and other fizzy ingredients to mixing classic and modern cocktails or playing with old-fashioned rituals and interesting elements.
Maker’s Mark whiskey has something to suit every palate. It is also a perfect sipping whiskey and an excellent introduction to the world of whiskey for novices.
