Maker's Mark Christmas Bottle Designs and Collecting Traditions

The Tradition of Maker's Mark Christmas Bottles

For over four decades, Maker's Mark has celebrated the holiday season by releasing special edition Christmas bottles featuring unique holiday-themed wax. This beloved annual tradition delights whiskey enthusiasts and collectors alike.

The Origin of Maker's Mark Christmas Bottles

The first Maker's Mark Christmas bottle made its debut in 1981. It featured the distillery's signature red wax seal decorated with green and red drips to resemble dripping candle wax. This bottle was sent out to loyal customers as a holiday gift and thank you.

The reaction was so positive that Maker's Mark decided to continue creating holiday bottles every year after that. Over the years, the designs have become more elaborate and artistic while still incorporating the brand's iconic red wax.

Popular Christmas Bottle Designs

Some especially memorable Maker's Mark Christmas bottles include:

• The 1990 bottle featuring a red, green, and gold wax tree design
• The 1998 bottle with a red and green wax candy cane pattern
• The 2005 Victorian-inspired bottle with red wax, real gold flakes, and collectible pewter topper
• The 2015 bottle replicating the label from the very first batch of Maker's Mark in 1958 with a vintage Christmas message

The Bottle Cutting Tradition

Over the past decade, a new phenomenon has emerged where collectors slice holiday bottles vertically to turn them into whiskey wax candles. This unique form of bottle art produces stunning designs when the dripped wax hardens down the cut sides of the bottle.

Cutting open the bottles originated organically from fans but has been fully embraced by Maker's Mark. They even share photos and videos of the creative sliced bottles on their social media channels.

Collecting and Displaying Maker's Mark Christmas Bottles

The creativity and variation through the years has made Maker's Mark Christmas bottles highly sought after by collectors.

Building a Collection

Devoted collectors try to acquire one of each year's holiday release to build out their collections over time. Since some years produced very limited quantities, certain bottles can be rare and expensive to obtain.

Aficionados enjoy displaying their lineup of Christmas bottles together to showcase the different wax designs side-by-side over the history of the distillery.

Gifting and Reselling Bottles

The holiday bottles also make excellent bourbon-themed gifts for whiskey lovers. Due to demand, they often sell out very quickly each November and December.

Hard-to-find vintage Christmas bottles can resell for steep prices at online liquor marketplaces and whiskey auctions.

Creative Display Ideas

Maker's Mark fans showcase their Christmas collections and sliced bottles in creative ways:

• Illuminating cut bottles by placing LED lights inside to glow like candlelight
• Building mini bourbon Christmas trees from multiple sliced bottles
• Mounting cut bottles on walls or shelves to highlight the dripped wax patterns

The Future of Maker's Mark Holiday Bottles

Maker's Mark reveals very few details about upcoming Christmas bottles ahead of each year's release to build excitement and suspense.

Speculation on Future Designs

Fans love to speculate on inspiration for the next year's bottle. Some predictions for future concepts include:

• A wax nutcracker soldier design
• A Grinch-inspired green and red wax theme
• A Christmas tree farm landscape in wax

Will Bottle Cutting Trend Continue?

The bottle slicing trend seems here to stay as Maker's Mark and collectors continue sharing incredible photos of cut holiday bottles as dazzling whiskey art.

Maker's Mark even hinted at releasing an official cutting guide in the future to assist fans creating the coveted cuts.

Holiday Bourbon Isn't Going Anywhere

One thing is for certain - the beloved tradition of Maker's Mark Christmas bottles will carry on for years to come. Collector's shelves will keep filling up with the distillery's special glimpses of red wax holiday magic every Christmas to come.

FAQs

When did Maker's Mark start releasing Christmas bottles?

Maker's Mark released its first Christmas bottle in 1981 featuring a red wax seal with green and red drips meant to look like dripping candle wax.

What are some of the most popular Christmas bottle designs over the years?

Some fan favorites include the 1990 wax Christmas tree bottle, 1998 wax candy cane bottle, 2005 Victorian style bottle with gold flakes, and 2015 vintage label replica from 1958.

Why do people cut open the Christmas bottles?

Whiskey fans started cutting bottles to turn them into wax-dripping candles that display stunning designs when lit. Maker's Mark now embraces and encourages this unique form of bottle art.

How much are rare vintage Maker's Mark Christmas bottles worth?

Hard to find bottles from the 80s and 90s can sell for hundreds of dollars at online auctions due to high demand from collectors.

Will Maker's Mark continue making holiday bottles every Christmas?

Yes, Maker's Mark confirms they have no plans to stop releasing special Christmas bottles for fans and collectors to enjoy each holiday season.