Over the past few months, the Maker’s Mark “Nature As The Maker” Advocacy Program has come to life across Australia, delivering an experience that is truly Perfectly Unreasonable in the best possible way.

From more than 200 expressions of interest, we brought together 150 bartenders across 6 immersive events in 5 key cities. Each experience was designed to connect the trade more deeply to Maker’s Mark, showing how flavor begins in the soil and ends in the glass.

At the heart of the program was a soil to glass journey, grounded in regenerative farming, sustainability, and flavor. Guests explored farms and foraging environments, tasting produce directly from the source and learning how soil, seasonality, and farming practices shape flavor and quality.

A key highlight of every session was the wild honey fermentation masterclass led by Fermentation Expert and Key Account Partner, Giacomo Franceschi. This showcased five Maker’s Mark cocktails, each built using different fermentation techniques that highlighted flavor preservation and innovation behind the bar.

This was followed by a hands-on workshop where each attendee created their own 1L fermentation to take home, using produce they had picked themselves at the farm. This brought the learning full circle, demonstrating the power of soil in shaping flavor, while equipping bartenders with a sustainable preservation technique to take back to their venues.

The experience was rounded out with a seasonal farm lunch and Maker’s Mark Whisky Tasting, celebrating hyper local produce and bringing the hospitality community together around the table. It created space to connect, share ideas, and reinforce the importance of collaboration, aligning closely with Suntory’s Better Together and Growing for Good values.

Across the country, we partnered with incredible collaborators to bring this to life:
• Sydney hosted two events in partnership with Wild Food Foraging & Diego Bonetto
• Melbourne took place at Common Ground Project
• Adelaide included Penobscot Farm and The Watervale Hotel
• Perth was hosted at 11 Acre Farm
• Brisbane took place at Neighbourhood Farm

Each experience concluded by connecting these learnings back to Star Hill Farm and Maker’s Mark, reinforcing that Maker’s Mark is “Nature Distilled” and that we have a responsibility to be good stewards of the natural world.

The impact:
• Bartenders encouraged to create Maker’s Mark “Nature As The Maker” inspired serves in venue
• Increased understanding of regenerative farming and its impact on flavor
• Practical skills in fermentation and sustainable preservation techniques
• Stronger connection to Maker’s Mark, Star Hill Farm, and our brand purpose
• Advocacy that extends beyond the bar into menus, conversations, and social content

This is what Perfectly Unreasonable advocacy looks like!