Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise to honor a giant of Kentucky's legendary bourbon industry, Bill Samuels, Jr., president of Maker's Mark Distillery, on the occasion of his retirement. His father's recipe first got bourbon invited to the top shelf. His mother had the radical idea of dipping bottles in red wax. His godfather was Jim Beam. Bill's career path seemed obvious, but ``obvious'' was never Bill's path. Everyone agrees distilling bourbon isn't rocket science, but only Bill makes the claim with authority--he's excelled at both. He designed fuel injectors for Polaris missiles and graduated from Vanderbilt Law School. Finally, four decades ago, he decided to give the family business 1 year--but he never left. When his time came, he didn't merely take over. He took Maker's Mark to unimaginable heights. Then a little-known brand, Makers is now among the world's most sought-after spirits, its red wax a renowned icon. And every barrel maintains the same recipe and craftsmanship as Bill, Sr.'s first batch in 1954. As cochair of the Congressional Bourbon Caucus, I urge my colleagues to join me in toasting Bill as he passes the wax-tipped baton into the capable hands of his son, Rob. Bill's service to Maker's Mark and Kentucky--like his bourbon-- continues a family's tradition, makes our Commonwealth proud, and is simply the stuff of legend. ____________________”