More than a third of whisky drinkers are female. Time for the industry to wake up to women
Why wait for International Women’s Day to celebrate women? A commemorative day is a good excuse, true, but we don’t need to wait to recognise the contributions of female and female-identifying individuals to the drinks industry.Right? Right.The Guardian’s journalism is independent.We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link.Learn more.
When I put out a call on my social media to ask for the contacts of inspiring women who work in whisky, my inbox was flooded with names, press releases and, most hearteningly, whisky professionals commending their contemporaries and friends.“The industry is getting better at giving women credit for the work they do,” whisky educator and writer Kristiane Westray told me, noting that blender Margaret Nicol at Whyte & Mackay, who started in the industry way back in 1974, has only recently been in the spotlight.Similarly, Maureen Robinson, who worked in whisky for more than 45 years, was inducted into the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame as recently as 2020.“There are also more women studying Stem subjects [science, technology, engineering and mathematics], which is usually a requirement in roles such as distilling and blending.”Support from within the industry is crucial to these women’s success, which is where the OurWhisky Foundation comes in: this non-profit, established in March 2022 by Becky Paskin, supports women working in whisky internationally, and has the backing of the wider industry.
Its dedicated editorial output (managed by award-winning drinks writer Millie Milliken) is a bulletin for women’s wins in the industry.On the consumer side of things, are we seeing more women there, too? A few months ago, pop diva Sabrina Carpenter was named as the new face of Johnnie Walker, which, though it received a mixed reception from industry professionals, made something very clear: brands are targeting a female audience right at the nascence of their drinking habits, to secure the whisky drinkers of the future.(I doubt many 60-year-old old-school whisky collectors will be scrambling for the Johnnie Walker because Carpenter put her name to it, but I might be wrong.) That audience is growing, too: women now make up 36% of whisky drinkers, up from just 15% in the 1990s.I asked Fikayo Ifaturoti, founder of Cellar Atelier, a wine and spirits consultancy, if she’s noticed an uptake in her female clientele: “I’ve seen women’s engagement deepen, but whisky still feels like ‘the other room’: admired by many, yet seldom invited into their collections,” she says.
“For many men, whisky has long carried generational meaning – a father passing down a bottle, a toast at milestones – but women are often written out of that narrative.”Distillery experiences, for example, which tend to be built around clay shooting or fishing, rarely imagine how other audiences, especially women, wish to engage.“Why do we see special editions for Father’s Day, say, but not for Mother’s Day?” Ifaturoti asks.“The next frontier is the marketplace, and to craft experiences with women in mind as well as men.”Laphroaig 10-Year-Old Single Malt Whisky £31 (on offer; 70cl) Waitrose, 40%.
Extra-smoky whisky from senior blender Sarah Dowling.Johnnie Walker Black Label 12-Year-Old Whisky £35.50 (70cl) Tesco, 40%.Smooth, rich and made by Dr Emma Walker, JW’s first female master blender.Nc’nean Organic Single Malt £51.
75 (70cl) The Whisky Exchange, 46%.This female-founded brand, started by Annabel Thomas, takes its name from the queen of spirits.Uncle Nearest 1856 Whiskey £70.75 (70cl) The Whisky Exchange, 50%.All syrup and sultanas, and crafted by fifth-generation master blender Victoria Eady Butler.
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