Happy Women’s History Month!

Putting together an extensive list of women-owned whiskey brands would have been challenging only 10 years ago. But things have changed, to the point where I could now write for hours about the women leading American whiskey alone, much less other spirits categories.

That said, women still make up a small percentage of distillery management in the U.S. and abroad. Because much work remains, it’s essential to highlight more of the women behind the brands. The best way to support women in spirits is to know their names, hear their stories, and purchase their spirits. To that end, I have agonized over this list, overjoyed that I can’t fit all the amazing women in the industry into one article.

Here is a snapshot of just a few women still making history in the spirits world today.

Joy Spence – Appleton Estate

Dr. Joy Spence joined Appleton Estate as Chief Chemist in 1981 and later became the Master Blender in 1997, making her the first woman to hold that title in the spirits industry. Spence fell in love with chemistry at 13 and dreamed of being a scientist. She graduated in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry, with first-class honors. Eventually, Spence moved to England to pursue a Master of Science in analytical chemistry at the University of Loughborough. She graduated with the highest-ever score achieved by a student there. After returning to Jamaica to teach, Appleton Estate eventually hired Spence. This is where she discovered she had a considerable organoleptic talent: the ability to detect, identify, and differentiate between aromas. Working with master blender Own Tulloch, she realized her passion for making rum. Dr. Spence has said, “Creating rum provides me with the perfect balance of art and science. The two are so intricately intertwined in rum-making that it is difficult to pinpoint where the science stops and the art begins.”

Suggested expression: Appleton Estate Rum 21 Years Old

Heather Greene & Marlene Holmes – Milam & Greene Whiskey

Master distiller Marlene Holmes of Texas-based Milam & Greene Whiskey became the latest inductee into Whisky Magazine’s Hall of Fame, making her one of the first American women and the only female distiller in the U.S. to receive this honor. Holmes began her career in 1990 with the Jim Beam brand, working under the legendary distiller Booker Noe. After three decades in the industry, Holmes forged a fresh path at the Milam & Greene distillery in Blanco, Texas, knocking out award-winning whiskey with her unique perspective.

Heather Greene, CEO & Master Blender of Milam & Greene Whiskey, is also the author of Whisk(e)y Distilled: A Populist Guide to the Water of Life. After serving her time behind the stick, Greene lived in Edinburgh, Scotland, and became the first woman to serve on Scotland’s Scotch Malt Whisky Society tasting panel. Greene worked through the European and U.S. whiskey industry before penning her book. She was eventually brought into Milam & Greene by the brand founder Marsha Milam and Holmes. Together with Holmes, the team has created one of the most coveted American whiskey brands while racking up the accolades.

Suggested expression: Milam & Greene Bottled in Bond Bourbon

Sherrie Moore – Jack Daniel’s/Uncle Nearest

Some call her one of the most interesting and under-celebrated women in whiskey. Moore, who began her career at the Jack Daniel’s distillery in the 1970s, worked her way up to Director of Whiskey Production when women were all but invisible in spirits production. The Uncle Nearest brand tapped Moore, after her retirement from Jack Daniel’s, to spearhead their whiskey production. She guided the brand to the market for several years before starting her independent consulting company. Moore now spends her time sharing her knowledge and experience with brands that need guidance, judging spirit awards, and supporting women in the industry. If you meet Moore in person, she possesses some of the most fascinating and hilarious stories of whiskey-making days gone by.

Suggested Expression: Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash – Bonded Series

Lisa Roper-Wicker – Limestone Branch Distillery

Roper-Wicker began her career as a winemaker before being tapped by Stephen Beam at Limestone Branch Distillery, where she proved her worth as a talented blender and distiller. Wicker would create award-winning products for brands like Starlight Distillery, Preservation Distillery in Bardstown, and Widow Jane Distillery. By sharing her knowledge, Wicker now trains the next generation of distillers and blenders as an independent consultant passionate about supporting brands seeking expert guidance.

Suggested expression: Widow Jane Baby Jane Bourbon

Tracie Franklin – Edmond’s Honor

Tracie Franklin, a Dame Hall of Fame inductee, is a whiskey educator, public speaker, consultant, and distiller. Franklin was the National Ambassador for Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch after years of representing whiskey brands like Ardbeg, Angel’s Envy, George Dickel, Johnnie Walker, and more. She was the world’s first Black Scotch whisky brand ambassador. After exiting her role as a brand ambassador, Tracie became the first apprentice with the Nearest and Jack Leadership Acceleration program, which led her to continue her training and receive multiple certifications, including her Diploma in Distillation from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling. In 2024, Franklin launched Edmond’s Honor Bourbon, “a first-of-its-kind ultra-premium bourbon whiskey entering the market with a bold mission: to honor legacy, elevate craftsmanship, and raise a toast to the next generation of everyday heroes.”

Suggested expression: Edmond’s Honor Vanilla Bourbon

Image courtesy of Jodie M Photography

Becky Paskin – OurWhisky Foundation

Becky Paskin, a Keeper of the Quaich and award-winning drinks journalist with over 15 years of experience covering spirits and cocktails for print, digital, TV, and radio, ranks among the 50 most influential people in the global drinks industry. Former editor of The Spirits Business and scotchwhisky.com, she regularly contributes to drinks publications and is a TV presenter. In 2022, after spending a long and storied career in the spirits industry and experiencing the lack of equity in the whiskey business, Paskin decided it was time to make a change, so she founded OurWhisky Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes equity and recognition for women within the whiskey industry. The organization created initiatives, including a free stock image library, to challenge how the media visually portrays the modern whiskey drinker. In addition, OurWhisky Foundation has created mentorship programs and development courses to bring women into leadership positions within the whiskey industry.

Check out: The Demeter Collection

Mel Heim – Big Nose Kate Western Whiskey

Recently named CEO of the brand she helped found, Big Nose Kate Western Whiskey, Mel Heim, is a force to be reckoned with. Heim was a liberal arts major before beginning her career in spirits. Out of necessity and interest, Heim took a job at a Portland, Oregon brewery with a tiny distillery on the second floor of its facility. Intrigued by the distillery, Heim quickly learned from the current distiller, who planned to return to law school. Heim’s position was eliminated shortly after she gave birth, leaving her at a crossroads because of the pandemic. Heim eventually started working in her kitchen to blend a new whiskey, which would become Big Nose Kate Western Whiskey. Although Heim resisted at first, she fell in love with the role of distiller and has won over 40 medals for her craft throughout her career, spanning over 16 years.

Suggested expression: Big Nose Kate Western Whiskey

Becky Harris – Catoctin Creek

Harris is the co-founder of Catoctin Creek in 2009, it was the first legal distillery in Loudoun County, Virginia, since prohibition. Harris graduated with honors from the University of Madison, Wisconsin, as a chemical engineer specializing in industrial processes and production systems. Harris developed her own pot distillation method, which involves cooking her grains longer than the industry norm. She believes this method creates more unique flavors in her distillate, which has resulted in defining what many say is a defining flavor of Virginia whiskey. She has served as president of the American Craft Spirits Association and sits on the board of the STEPUP internship program. Harris is now among a dozen women featured in Whiskey University’s “Women in Whiskey” class. She is passionate about supporting efforts to make it easier for women and people of color to enter STEM education and take roles in the craft spirits industry.

Suggested expression: Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye

Vanessa Braxton – Gravesande Braxton Distillers

Vanessa Braxton is the first African American woman to serve as Master Distiller or Master Blender in New York state by a Governor’s proclamation. And that record extends nationwide. A former civil engineer who found herself retired and without purpose dreamed of her own liquor brand; with the help of a friend who offered her time on his stills in Oregon, Braxton made Black Momma Vodka official in 2012. Life brought her back to her New York roots, where she set up shop on Long Island. Shortly after her return, Sonat and Robert Birnecker of Koval Distillery extensively mentored her and helped to hone her craft. Today, she owns and operates Gravesande Braxton Distillers in Long Island, NY, where she produces Black Momma Vvodka products.

Suggested expression: Black Momma Vodka

The post Her Story in Spirits: Celebrating the Women of Distilling for Women’s History Month appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider’s Guide to Good Drinking.