Maker’s Mark sued over handmade claim
Beam Suntory’s Bourbon brand Maker’s Mark is being sued by consumers for false advertising over its claims to be handmade.
Maker’s Mark features a distinctive red wax seal and a claim to be ‘handmade’ (Photo: Maker’s Mark)
Two Californian consumers – Safora Nowrouzi and Travis Williams – are taking legal action against the popular Bourbon, a bottle of which they each purchased “under the false impression that the whisky was of superior quality by virtue of being handmade”, according to the suit.
AP reports that the potential class-action suit could result in damages of $5 million.
The suit reads, “Defendant promotes its whisky as being ‘handmade’ when in fact defendant’s whisky is manufactured using mechanized and/or automated processes, which involves little to no human supervision, assistance or involvement”.
The allegations have been backed up by photos and videos of the Maker’s Mark Bourbon-making process, according to reports.
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Clarkson Hine, a spokesman for Beam Suntory, said “we will defend this case vigorously and we are confident that we will prevail.”
Maker’s Mark was in trouble with consumers in February when it unveiled plans to reduce the alcoholic strength of its whisky in order to stretch supplies and meet growing demand.
A swift u-turn then followed after a backlash from fans of the whiskey, which features a distinctive trademarked red wax seal.
The industry is awash with dubious claims such as “hand crafted” and “small batch”. However, the mechanized and/or automated processes certainly produce fine whiskeys such as Maker’s Mark Bourbon.