Maker’s is looking to make more money as the demand for their fine product is out pacing supply. There are a couple of items I see that are concerning for the future of Maker’s as a brand. One, why are they blaming the market for something they control? The consumers dont produce the product, they purchase and consume it. It just seems misguided to point at the people buying your product and saying” Hey, you over there, you’re buying too much of our bourbon. We cant make it fast enough, so we’ve decided to use water to produce it quicker.” And two, if demand is so strong, why dilute the value of your product when you can simply charge more and actually produce less? That seems like the most reasonably solution without harming the brand or the product.
Marker’s does have some data they are claiming supports this decision. Apparently they are working under the assumption that customers wont notice nor will they care the bourbon they are drinking has 3% less alcohol.