08 Jun Distilling Spirits is a Woman’s Job

For the June Issue of BIN Magazine, I had the pleasure to profile 10 women in the spirits industry. Each of these women prove that distilling 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 sour mash 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.

MELLY BARAJAS, FOUNDER AND MASTER DISTILLER, VINOS Y LICORES AZTECA, JALISCO, MEXICO

JILL KUEHLER, FOUNDER & DISTILLER, FREELAND SPIRITS, PORTLAND, OREGON

VICTORIA EADY BUTLER, MASTER BLENDER, UNCLE NEAREST PREMIUM WHISKEY, TENNESSEE

ALEX THOMAS, MASTER BLENDER, THE SEXTON SINGLE MALT, IRELAND

KARINNA ENRIQUEZ HURTADO, “MASTER TASTER” QUALITY CONTROL SUPERVISOR – RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT, HERRADURA TEQUILA, JALISCO, MEXICO

TARA JASPER, FOUNDER AND DISTILLER, SIPSONG SPIRITS, SONOMA CALIFORNIA

RACHEL BARRIE, MASTER BLENDER, GLENDRONACH DISTILLERY, BENRIACH AND GLENGLASSAUGH DISTILLERIES, SCOTLAND

MELANIE ASHER, FOUNDER, MASTER DISTILLER & BLENDER, MACCHU PISCO, PERU

ASHBY MARSHALL, CO-OWNER AND HEAD DISTILLER, SPIRIT WORKS DISTILLERY, SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

JOY SPENCE, MASTER BLENDER, APPLETON ESTATES RUM, JAMAICA

Enjoy these introductory profiles in the June issue of BIN Magazine. Beginning in July, each month each of there women will be profiled in a full-page piece.