Updated June 2026.
Maker’s Mark — the red-wax Kentucky straight bourbon — is 90 proof / 45% ABV on the current brand page. A 1.5-ounce pour is 1.13 NIAAA standard drinks. It is a wheated bourbon (wheat instead of rye in the flavoring grain) from Loretto, Suntory Global Spirits. The 2013 plan to drop to 84 proof was reversed; the flagship stayed 90. Mash-bill percentages are marketing, not a TTB filing we will invent.
Maker’s 46 is higher (commonly 94 proof / 47% — confirm the neck). Cask Strength and Private Selection are barrel-proof bands. We will not reprint a 2021 price list. Wheat = “smooth” talk: smoothest whiskey. Under-$50 shelf: bourbon under $50.
90 proof vs the rest of the family
| SKU | Typical US proof | 1.5 oz drinks | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maker’s Mark (flagship) | 90 / 45% | 1.13 | makersmark.com “Proof 90” |
| Maker’s 46 | ~94 / 47% — read the neck | ~1.18 | French-oak stave finish; exact current |
| 101 | 101 / 50.5% when labeled | 1.26 | Availability varies |
| Cask Strength / Private Selection | Batch (often ~107–114) | Do the math | Barrel-proofbarrel proof |
A 750 mL flagship is about 19 standard drinks (750 × 0.45 ÷ 17.7). Four 1.5-ounce pours are 4.5 drinks. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target. Identity: Pour math: whiskey drinks.
Sources
- makersmark.com flagship: Proof 90.
- 2013 42% proposal reversed (The Spirits Business, 18 Feb 2013).
- TTB 27 CFR 5.143. NIAAA standard drink (December 2025).
- Maker’s 46 exact current US proof:, read the bottle. No invented MSRP.