Maker's Mark Distillery Highlands Master Plan

Master Plan Design Intends to Deepen Customers’ Connection to Bourbon Distillery Brand

Since 1953, Maker’s Mark Distillery on Star Hill Farm^SM has been hand-crafting Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey derived from the founder’s family recipe that’s now nearly 250 years old. Over the years, the distillery has expanded its property to nearly 2000 acres of land, agriculture and water which provides the authentic raw materials for its distinctive brand of bourbon. Desiring to create a world-class guest destination for visitors to immerse themselves in the brand’s rich history and ambiance, Maker’s Mark partnered with OHM Advisors in 2020 to develop a master plan for the project on 34 acres of the site.

After extensive exploration of the property’s vast landscape, our multidisciplinary team of civil engineers, surveyors, landscape architects and planners created an overall design concept focused on highlighting the distillery’s natural features to strengthen the connection between the place and the bourbon’s brand. A recently certified B Corp dedicated to the highest standards for social and environmental performance, Maker’s Mark carefully collaborated with the design team to blend the brand’s ambiance, history and hospitality with its deep commitment to authenticity and sustainability in the master plan. The resulting plan intends to create memorable spaces for distillery tours, special events and activities focused on drink, food, education and entertainment.

Already, one of the plan’s most significant reimaginations has been realized with the construction of a series of bridges across the property that connect guest experiences with unique locations within the distillery grounds. These locations were chosen specifically to underscore the natural connections between the land, agriculture and water within the quintessential Kentucky landscape. Future visitors to the distillery will enjoy experiential spaces like the Innovation Garden and Quarry Garden where they can sample various bourbon drinks and food as well as learn how the bourbon is distilled from the area’s natural raw materials. Our team is also developing trails and amenities within the Whisky Creek Highlands—the prominent heart of the Star Hill Farm^SM distillery campus.

Project highlights: planning, master planning, site design, survey design services and pre-design services, land development, zoning & entitlements, landscape architecture, green infrastructure, branding, wayfinding & signage, multimodal transportation engineering, construction engineering project administration and closeout