International Women's Day
International Women's Day is on 8th March, and to celebrate, we're highlighting a host of excellent drinks and brands from around the world that are created or produced by women. To help you find out more, we've got profiles of women spirit pioneers from the past and present below, and keep an eye on our blog for some fascinating interviews with women from the drinks industry.
Meet Annabel Thomas
Nc'nean founder and CEO Annabel Thomas saw space in the Scotch whisky world for a distillery with a big focus on sustainability and decided to do something about it – that "something" was the Nc'nean Distillery. With a mission to create a whisky that exists in harmony with the planet, Thomas and her team are always looking for ways to champion sustainable production, from using renewable energy, recycling 99.97% of the distillery's waste, using organic Scottish barley, and more. A key milestone in the distillery’s sustainable journey to date is being verified net zero (scopes 1 & 2) in 2021.
Meet Lisa Roper Wicker
Lisa Roper Wicker, president and head distiller of Widow Jane in Brooklyn, began her career in the drinks industry not with whiskey, but with wine. After eight years of winemaking study, Wicker moved to Kentucky to build a winery, and while she was there, distilling became a new focus. She has distilled at Limestone Branch Distillery and Starlight Distillery before becoming head distiller at Widow Jane in Brooklyn, New York.
Meet Allison Parc
Allison Parc is the founder and president of Brenne, a French single malt that truly shows how terroir can have a place in the world of whisky. Following on from a career as a professional ballerina, Parc began to build an import/export portfolio of craft spirit while also looking to create a whisky that represented the region it was produced. Teaming up with a third-generation Cognac producer in France, Parc would go on to create Brenne.
Meet Louisa Motais
Louisa Motais, the 'soul of Cointreau', was part of a mighty team with her partner Édouard Cointreau. Motais paid attention to the human side of the business, introducing social policies for the distillery's employees, and also opened a hospital for wounded World War I soldiers. She would go on to become Chairwoman of the Union of French Women, and given the titles of Knight and Officer of the French Legion of Honour.
Meet Adèle Jouët
Legendary Champagne house Perrier-Jouët was founded by Rose-Adélaïde Jouët, who came from a family of wine merchants, along with her husband Pierre Nicolas Perrier (hence the name Perrier-Jouët). Together, they laid the foundations for what would become one of the most renowned and adored Champagne producers in the world, with Jouët's focus on the vineyards and winemaking being core to this.
Meet Ana Maria Romero
Maestra Tequilera Ana Maria Romero is the driving force behind Mijenta Tequila. She has over 25 years of experience in the Tequila industry, and her love for the spirit is crystal clear from her work. She even identified 600 individual scents found in Tequila and mapped them onto a flavour wheel, which has since been adopted by the industry. With Mijenta, Romero has created a brand with sustainability as one of its fundamental principles.
Meet Stephanie Macleod
Stephanie Macleod is the master blender for Dewar's, who approached the world of whisky from a scientific standpoint. Her experience with the spirit began when she was offered a role in sensory research that focused on whisky and why it tastes the way it does. Eventually, she would go on to join the Dewar's team in 1998 and became the brand's master blender in 2006. Macleod has created plenty of excellent whiskies at Dewar's, as was the first woman to win the Master Blender of the Year award at the International Whisky Competition 2019.
OTHER SPIRITS
Meet the Master of Malt team this International Women's Day
Who are they, how did they get here, and what advice do they have for any budding drinks enthusiasts? The wonderful women across the team are on hand to tell all!
