Beam tweaks Maker's Mark formula to keep price down DEERFIELD, Ill., Feb. 12 (UPI) -- The Illinois-based manufacturer of Maker's Mark bourbon whiskey said the alcohol content is being reduced from 45 percent to 42 percent. Beam Inc., based in Deerfield, said the fast-growing demand for Maker's Mark, which has led to some customers reporting being unable to find stores with the bourbon in stock, caused the company to decide to reduce the alcohol content of the product by 3 percentage points, the Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday. The company said there will be no change to the taste of the product and a research group was unable to tell the two versions apart by taste. "In other words, we've made sure we didn't screw up your whiskey," Beam said in an email. The company said it decided on the alcohol drop instead of a price hike because it did not want the beverage to be "out of reach" of customers.