DISTILLING SPIRITS IS A WOMAN’S JOB

Like most industries, the spirits industry has historically been a male dominated industry. Men are the heads of companies and the master distillers. Fewer than 1% of distilleries are owned by women. But women have long been involved in the industry. The invention of the first alembic still is credited to Mary the Jewess who lived around 200 CE and Catherine Spears Frye Carpenter is credited with creating the first recipe for for whiskey in 1818. Throughout history, women anonymously were distillers and bootleggers, but they never were recognized.

Today women continue to increase in presence in the spirits industry as distillers and heads of companies. Distilling spirits is a woman’s job. Meet 10 women from around the world who are proving that.

28 28 BIN BIN 2021 2021 symbol of Mexico. It is an elixir. The priests drank it to talk to the Gods. Melly 0 1 added, “with our tequila, we can share a piece of Mexico with the world.”

There are few women in distilling. What FOUNDER AND types of challenges have you faced? VINOS Y LICORES AZTECA, JALISCO, MEXICO I started with the great motivation to fulfill a wish for my father, but before Many tequila brands are passed from being able to fulfill it, he died. However, generation to generation, but Vinos y I was already on my way and I had Licores Azteca was founded in 1999 by already faced many challenges and many look at you or respect you. It is a challenge Melly Barajas. Melly created the brand obstacles. There were the large number for any woman who wants to stand out. I to fulfill her father’s wish. After seeing of rules and regulations that abide in this do not look at this as a negative, on the tequila’s Denomination of Origin of industry and in addition to being an edible contrary, it makes you try harder and do Mexico acknowledged in a European product, we also have a designation of things better. magazine, he told his daughter he would origin, which is another series of rules to like to have a Tequila with his name on comply with. Another obstacle was that, What do you see as the future for women it. In an industry in which approximately at that time, Tequila was an industry made in distilling? 8% of tequila producers are women, up of businessmen of ancestry who were I believe that the future of women is today. Melly created Vinos Y Licores Azeteca, a continuing a tradition handed to them We are living in a time of empowerment distillery business made up almost entirely from their grandparents. I was simply of women. It is time for women who want of women. starting from scratch. Nobody believed to stand out in something to do so. It is in me, and only a few people took me a great opportunity in all areas and the At Vinos y Licores Azteca, Melly focuses seriously. As a woman, I believe you tequila industry is no exception. I believe on making excellent traditional tequila simply must work double and do things that the myth that this industry is only for using 100% blue agave. Tequila is a better than anyone else to get them to men has ended.

0 2 FOUNDER & DISTILLER FREELAND SPIRITS, PORTLAND, OREGON

were before opening the door. First the idea is amazing the things they think they was in my head, and I had no one to share can convince me of. But I feed off the it with and then when I did, people were challenge and it fuels me to just prove skeptical. For a capital-intensive business, why it is so important that we exist. finding capital was brutally painful, as I Based in Portland, Oregon, Freeland think it is for anybody regardless of your What do you see as the future for women Spirits was founded by Jill Kuehler in gender. But when you look at 5% of in distilling? 2017. Drinking whiskey with a friend business loans going to women, and less The future is great. Look at our current one night, they discussed how Kentucky than 2% venture capital going to women, all-female production team. Molly Bourbon did not have a story; they did not the fact is that people give money to Troupe, aka Mythical Molly, is one of know who brewed the grain or anything people who look like themselves. Until youngest master female distillers; brewer else. From there, a dream, and a story, was there are more people on the other side and distiller Lee Hedgmon is black; and born to start a distillery featuring the best who are women or people of color, it is Kira Duncan is trans. No other team of Oregon agriculture. just going to be an uphill battle for a long looks like ours, but I want that to be the time. face of a lot of distilleries. We also have There are few women in distilling. What an intern program focused on women types of challenges have you faced? On the distribution side, I have been and people of color. Diversity benefits all We are at a great place today. We have brushed aside or given different contracts industries and I want to see women in all proven ourselves. The biggest challenges than those given to the male client. It aspects of the business. granddaughter, is the brand’s master 0 3 blender and the first female African American master blender in history. She is also the first Black woman to win Magazine’s Icons of Whisky for MASTER BLENDER Master Blender of the Year. UNCLE NEAREST PREMIUM WHISKEY As one of Green’s descendants, Victoria SHELBYVILLE, TENNESSEE wanted to play an active role in continuing her great-great-grandfather’s legacy. Nathan Green, “Uncle Nearest”, was a Victoria expressed, “the opportunity former slave who became Tennessee’s to build on to something larger than premier master distiller. Uncle Nearest myself is what drew me in, and it is what taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey continues to drive my interest. Having and is credited as Daniel’s first master the opportunity to continue a legacy that distiller, mentor, and teacher. Uncle laid dormant for more 160 years while also Nearest Premium Whiskey debuted in building on to what Nearest Green started July 2017 to honor the world’s first known is the most beautiful responsibility that I example for all women interested in the African American master distiller and never expected to have.” spirits industry, especially women of color. was named Wine Enthusiast’s 2020 Spirit Brand of the Year. Uncle Nearest Premium There are few women in distilling. What What do you see as the future for women Whiskey CEO and founder Fawn Weaver types of challenges have you faced? in distilling? was the first African American woman Thanks to the groundwork laid by our I see the future of women in distilling to lead a major spirits brand and she CEO and Founder, Fawn Weaver, I have making a major shift, as in I see more oversees an all-female leadership team. not faced any challenges based on my women holding executive level positions. Victoria Eady Butler, Green’s great-great- gender. I am now in a position to be an It is already happening.

encouragement and guidance I have 0 4 received from master distiller Colum Egan. The Industry is a family and as such offers support and inspiration to all who want to learn more about our craft and MASTER BLENDER one day create a whiskey that showcases THE SEXTON SINGLE MALT, IRELAND the best of the category.

From a young age, Alex Thomas was What do you see as the future for women fascinated with the “magical liquid” of in distilling? whiskey and only dreamed that one day Awareness and appreciation for females she would be involved in its production. in the industry has increased over the last She took a job at the distillery 17 years ago several years and recently, more females and honed her craft under the guidance are being recognized. For example, my of Colum Egan, one of the Ireland’s most colleague Helen Mulholland who is the revered distillers. In 2012, Alex received something that can be enjoyed worldwide master blender of Bushmills Irish Whiskey her distilling diploma and became the by people is my legacy and part of my life and the first female master blender in master blender of The Sexton Single Malt. story which will still being enjoyed long the history of Irish whiskey has recently “To watch the transformation of something after I have gone!” received the prestigious “Chairman’s raw into something so delicate and rich is Award” from the Irish Whiskey truly amazing,” Alex expressed. “There There are few women in distilling. What Association. Nothing is more empowering are so many elements that draw me to types of challenges have you faced? than doing what you love and having the this industry, from the barley through to I have been extremely fortunate when it freedom to share that experience and picking the stunning casks for maturation, comes to my experience as I have been knowledge, so that is what I as one of the but the fact that people are falling back constantly surrounded by support since few female master blenders tries to do, in love with Irish whiskey is what really the beginning from both my husband to increase awareness and normalize the excites me.” She added, “getting to create who works in a similar field, to the female presence in this industry. 30 BIN 2021 innovate and express new ideas is what 0 5 motivates Karinna and she recently launched "Tequila Herradura Legend", made from 100% blue agave, naturally fermented, distilled and then aged for 14 "MASTER TASTER" QUALITY CONTROL months in new, highly charred American SUPERVISOR, RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT white oak barrels. HERRADURA TEQUILA, JALISCO, MEXICO There are few women in distilling. What Following the footsteps of Maria Teresa types of challenges have you faced? not closed any doors for me. Lara, the first female Master Distiller Throughout my professional career, I have at Casa Herradura, Karinna Enriquez met people who inspire and have helped What do you see as the future for women Hurtado took over, making her the second me grow, but I have also met people who in distilling? female to serve as a master lead in the block the roads. It is thanks to those I envision an infinity of opportunities production department at the historic who have challenged me the most that for women in the world of spirits as it Casa Herradura. I am what I am now. I have had to try is an industry that is growing a lot. The harder, and they have also helped me important thing is that women continue Karinna finds the entire tequila production grow. Another challenge has been feeling to prepare, that they step out of their process and the wide possibility to guilty as a working-mom. However, I comfort zone, express their ideas, and innovate and generate new products have understood that I am a professional put them into action. Women are exciting. “Each of the stages involved in and it fills me with great satisfaction on a empowering themselves in activities that producing tequila, from knowing the field, personal level. I am proud to be a part of were associated only with men in the its raw material, cooking, extraction, a company that promotes and encourages past. They are a decision maker and have fermentation, , maturation, women, and I am currently a part of a large demonstrated the ability to lead in the conditioning and packaging, standards Employee Resource Group program called industry. We are still mothers and wives, and regulations,” she explained, “are GROW "Women developing extraordinary but we can also be professionals, athletes, very exciting, capable of awakening the Women", our goal is to promote other politicians, businesswomen, and many interest of consumers.” The power to women. Until this day, being a woman has other things to continue growing.

herbs, spices, and health, Tara explored is why I wanted to start this business. I nutrition, tea infusion, coffee extraction, did a lot of research before starting out 0 6 and shrub making before she finally tried and found a way to start distilling without distilling for the first time, making a having to build out my own facility. I blackberry Eau Du Vie. Sipsong Spirits share one with another distiller. I am very FOUNDER AND DISTILLER focuses on gin production. “I love to focus fortunate to have found this opportunity. SIPSONG SPIRITS, SONOMA CALIFORNIA on gin-education,” Tara expressed. “I love It took me two years to go from wanting to show people the range and diversity of to distill professionally to having the gins. I just finished making a seasonal license to do so. Spring gin that completely sold out the first day it was released.” Tara is working What do you see as the future for women on more seasonal and “taste of place” in distilling? gins. But in order to create new flavors, What is missing in many professions is she spends time researching and “it might the woman's perspective. Our minds and be years before I am fully inspired to our palates are different. Our perspective release a batch.” in the spirits industry on the head distiller side is just beginning to unfold. I know this There are few women in distilling. What is going to be a beautiful thing to behold. Flavors have been a passion of Tara Jasper types of challenges have you faced? I love doing blind tastings. I tasted eight for most of her life. She had been following For women and people of color, access different absinthes the other day. I did her palate looking for her “calling”. to funding has historically been the this tasting with darkened tasting glasses Inspired by her husband’s passion for his primary barrier to starting a business. A so that I could not see the color of the work, she decided to follow her passion spirit business can be especially capital liquid. Low and behold, without knowing and enrolled in Culinary School after intensive to start especially if you want it I chose the one made by a woman as my graduating from Cal Poly SLO. Interested to develop your own location. I wanted favorite. Then I did it again to be sure. It in the connection between flavors, to be the head distiller for Sipsong; that was Absinthia Absinthe. Delicious! in Chemistry, she stumbled across a job at to share a dram together, so I also feel that the University of Edinburgh careers service I have unique connections to each of the for a Research Scientist at the Scotch distilleries that I am now Master Blender Whisky Research Institute (SWRI). At for, which is a lovely feeling.” this job, she combined analytics with her developing passion for Single There are few women in distilling. What with a focus on oak maturation and flavor types of challenges have you faced? development. Rachel then shifted her Nowadays, there are more and more women focus to production and worked her way to working in the industry, from production, Master Blender. to marketing, to analysis and all the roles in between. Like many industries, roles “With whisky, I enjoy the fact that each within the sector were traditionally viewed day is a school day and there is still so much through a stereotyped lens which perhaps 0 7 to learn,” Rachel shared. “It is a colorful put some women off exploring a career industry that is never constant, and there is within whisky. Now, I think it is clear to see such huge variety in my job. From creating that these stereotypes are being challenged the exceptionally rich GlenDronach with and that the industry, and the people MASTER BLENDER the finest sherry casks from Andalucía enjoying whisky, are becoming much more GLENDRONACH DISTILLERY to experimenting with layering flavor diverse, progressive, and welcoming. BENRIACH AND GLENGLASS DISTILLERIES at Benriach, and literally tasting the coastal air that shapes Glenglassaugh, SCOTLAND What do you see as the future for women each distillery is unique and special in its in distilling? Rachel Barrie became the Master Blender own way. As a child I also learned to surf It is a fantastic time to be a woman working for The GlenDronach, Benriach, and at Sandend Bay which Glenglassasugh in whisky. More and more roles are Glenglassaugh in 2017 after a 26-year overlooks and used to go gliding in the becoming available, so I hope that attracts career in spirits. Growing up around Speyside skies over Benriach Distillery more women to explore a career in the distilleries, Rachel developed a passion for too. The GlenDronach was always my industry. It is constantly evolving, and it is whiskey and following an Honors degree Dad’s Single Malt of choice, and we love a very exciting time to be in it.

at every cut of head and tail, monitoring the oven temperatures, and uses a specific 0 8 proprietary fractioning system to identify the differences in the heads, body, and tails. Melanie added, “the thing I enjoy most about being a distiller is distilling. If FOUNDER, MASTER DISTILLER & BLENDER you are not having fun with it or doing MACCHU , PERU it yourself, you'd better find another profession.” Macchu Pisco was founded in 2006 by sisters Melanie and Lizzie Asher. Macchu There are few women in distilling. What Pisco honors the tradition of their mighty natural grape. When I finally types of challenges have you faced? grandmother Amelia Rodriguez who was did find purity estates of small growers One of the first challenges that I born almost 100 years ago and who grew that kept to age-old healthy farming encountered as an intrepid distiller and up helping her mother sell pisco at the practices, we paid a quality price related brand owner was securing the best top- local bodega in Lima, Peru. Distilling to their work. I was labeled the "gringa" quality grapes. For me that meant grapes requires that Melanie connects keenly that came to ruin the market. My reply, that have not been spayed. You cannot to her intuition and engages all her ‘Macchu Pisco pays fair prices base on fair make a pure product with low grade senses to make the correct choices. “We trade not market conditions.’ material doused in pesticides, herbicides, always have the answers inside of us, just or fungicides. I was first told it would sometimes we let self-doubt and fear get What do you see as the future for women be impossible to find because everyone in the way. Being present is super key as a in distilling? sprayed. I would find empty containers businesswoman and distiller so I returned The future is bright for women in the and dead birds along farms. I even to meditation to be more conscientious distilling trade or any other. As humans travelled to a province in the mountains in my production,” she shared. Melanie is we all face challenges. I see it as a way of eight hours away looking for the all- testing our resolve. 34 BIN 2021 Works Distillery produces a range of products, from , Gin, Sloe Gin, and Barrel Gin to Straight , Straight , Four Grain 0 9 Straight Bourbon, and Barrel Reserve Sloe Gin. They source organic hard red winter wheat from the Sacramento valley CO-OWNER & HEAD DISTILLER for the vodka, gins, and wheat whiskey. accepting. Where I initially found a few SPIRIT WORKS DISTILLERY, They use locally grown organic corn and issues came with the extended support rye for the Bourbon and Rye Whiskey. industries like the steam, gas, and electric SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA “Offering a range of spirits allows us to contractors working in our space. Initially, Founded in 2012 in the heart of Sonoma showcase the grains in multiple ways,” they literally would ask where my boss was County by husband-and-wife team Ashby explained. “It is truly the best way or if I needed to get someone else to help Timo and Ashby Marshall, Spirit Works of showcasing the versatility of how grains make whatever decision needed to be Distillery was named Distillery of the Year can be presented with the differences in made. by the American Distilling Institute in the spirits entirely coming from the yeast 2020. Spirits Works Distillery specializes used, the distillation techniques, and What do you see as the future for women in grain-to-glass distillation. They start whether it was aged in oak or not.” in distilling? with whole grain and house-ferment I see so much room to grow in both the and distill all the spirits on-site. To There are few women in distilling. What creativity of spirits and the diversity of achieve their initial vision of bringing types of challenges have you faced? genders in the distilling community. I will traditional Sloe Gin to the U.S. market, I am so proud to be just one of the many add that that in the decade I have been in they needed to create a beautiful base of incredible women in this industry and this industry more and more aspects of the vodka in order to perfect their signature have prioritized passing my knowledge on industry from sales, finance, marketing, gin, which would then be used to make to the next generation, male or female, as and of course production, are being led or their traditional Sloe Gin. Today Spirt much as I can. My experience within the influenced by exceptional women and it distilling community itself has been very has been just awesome to watch.

Analytical Chemistry at the University work harder to gain recognition and of Loughborough, graduating with the experienced chauvinism in certain areas. highest score ever achieved by a student For some time, I was carrying the weight at Loughborough. Joy returned to Jamaica for other females, so I had to make sure and continued teaching before joining I was successful. Many people assumed Appleton Estate as a Chief Chemist that I was a family member or married to in 1981. Working closely with Master the owner to have achieved this position. Blender Owen Tulloch, her passion for Ultimately, you must focus on the positive the art of creating rum developed. Honing and not allow the negative to get you her sensory skills to develop an unrivalled down. I rise above it; I know my craft and mastery of flavors and aromas led to Joy’s I am passionate about what I am doing. 1 0 appointment in 1997 as the world’s first female master blender. “Creating rum What do you see as the future for women provides me with the perfect balance of in distilling? art and science. In rum-making, they are I think my biggest accomplishment in MASTER BLENDER so intricately intertwined that it is difficult the rum Industry was my being the first APPLETON ESTATES RUM, JAMAICA to pinpoint where the science stops, woman appointed Master Blender. The and art begins,” Joy explained. “Making industry is male dominated, and I was Master Blender Joy Spencer first fell in several Rum marques with many different able to open the doors for other females. love with chemistry at age 13 and dreamed sensory profiles and flavors, I find Rum to I think we could be louder about how the of becoming a scientist. In 1972, she be the most intriguing and complex spirit. doors are open for women in this field. I received her Bachelor of Science Degree Rum has become a part of my DNA.” think that many women do not imagine in Chemistry with First Class Honors that they can be in this field. The industry from the University of the West Indies There are few women in distilling. What should promote that there are no gender and spent a few years teaching chemistry. types of challenges have you faced? barriers in the world of blending and Joy then moved to England where she As a female in the rum industry, I universities could do more to encourage received a Master of Science degree in have had many challenges. I had to more women into the field.