The new 1996 National Championship team Maker's Mark bottles go on sale Friday

About a month ago, we gave you a sneak peek of the new Maker's Mark bottle commemorating the 1996 national championship team, the third in a five-part series honoring Kentucky's national championships. The series is a collaboration between UK Athletics, Maker’s Mark, and Keeneland to raise money for UK's Center for Academic and Tutorial Services (CATS), which recently expanded to the south side of campus in the new football training facility.

This year's bottles honoring "The Untouchables" will go on sale at retail outlets throughout Kentucky on Friday, April 7 (even though it seems a few of you have already gotten your hands on some). The first two bottles in the series featured legendary coaches Adolph Rupp and Joe B. Hall, along with the 1978 national championship team.

“Our ’96 championship team was one of the best not only in the history of our program, but in the history of college basketball,” Barnhart said. “This iconic bottle is a fitting tribute to them and all they accomplished during that historic season.”

A bottle signing of this year’s commemorative Maker’s Mark® bottle will take place at the Keeneland Entertainment Center on the morning of Friday, April 14. Details are available on www.Keeneland.com. That afternoon, Keeneland will feature some of the nation’s top turf horses in the 30^thrunning of the $300,000 Maker’s 46 Mile (G1).

Bottles released in 2018 and 2019 will complete the five-bottle series to benefit the CATS program.