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Inspirational Whisky Women for Int’l Women’s Day

March 6, 2013 in Interviews, Whisky Women

This Friday, I am asking all of you to do just one thing: raise a dram to an inspiring woman in your life.

You see, it’s International Women’s Day – the one day of the year where all women get celebrated in all of their glory and during which more awareness is raised by global charities (such as the fantastic The Girl Effect) about the disparity still faced by young girls and women in all countries.

In honour of the day, I went to the whisky world to ask some of the fantastic Whisky Women two simple questions: what whisky inspires you and what woman inspires you?

The responses have been inspirational and I have had so many I want to share that the piece will be spread over two parts.

I hope the stories and responses below hit a chord with you. Be sure to read to the end to find out about a great competition with Bowmore to celebrate!

 

Angela D’Orazio: Master Blender, Mackmyra Swedish Whisky:

So many! Most of the time I fall in love with single cask of whisky. Last week, I found a bunch of wonderful 1st-fill 3 year-old smoky quarter casks here in the Bodås mine. Oh my god! Then there is Bruichladdich, Kilchoman, Ardbeg, an older Tomintoul and Glengarioch – rich in aromas and style with great fruitiness. Or Compass Box, Penderyn, Amrut… but the list is long.

Inspiring or not, women in the business are few. Martine Nouet is an inspiration with her lovely food pairings. A pioneering whisky lady of the past, Bessie Williamson at Laphroaig, must have been a strong business woman at times when there were even fewer woman than today.

Outside of the business it’s easier: the late Nina Simone was a truly inspiring artist, while on TV role models are Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres who are both good, fun and compassionate journalists and the Swedish/Greek journalist Alexandra Pascalidou for the same reason. And my mom, for always having a tremendous compassion for people in need.

Helen Arthur: Whisky Writer and Archivist:

The whisky which inspires me is Teacher’s. The reason is this: William Teacher was a feisty man who stood up for his beliefs – he nearly ended up in jail when a young man as he got on the roof of the cotton spinning mill where he worked holding a Chartist Movement flag, fighting to improve the social and economic conditions of the industrial working class.

He then started working in a small grocery store, married the lady boss’s daughter and turned it into a thriving wines and spirits business.  He created a dynasty, but also kept to his own moral ethics ensuring nobody left his ‘dram shops’ drunk – adhering to strict rules about not serving intoxicated people and prohibiting anyone treating his friends as this too led to people drinking too much.  Both are interesting concepts today when we are looking at drinking in moderation.

My heroine is Wangari Muta Maathai, the Kenyan activist and politician who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.

Like all heroines she isn’t perfect but she did a great deal to promote democracy in Kenya and persuade the Kenyan government to consider the wealth and importance of its bio-diversity and its land.  She founded the ‘Green Belt Movement‘ planting trees of peace.  This provoked  a great deal of criticism as she deliberately chose controversial sites and she was jailed by the government in 1992.

Sadly she got embroiled in some rather weird exchanges about Aids and was, she said, misquoted when she was reported as saying that Aids was ‘deliberately created by western scientists to decimate the African population’  She refuted this in a statement in Time Magazine in 2004.

I met her before she died in 2011 and found her truly inspirational.  I know many Kenyan women who see her as a role model.

Martine Nouet: Food and Whisky Writer and Chef:

Whisky inspires me: the making of it, the people, the drink’s flavours, the way it arouses sensations and creates images which feed my writing. The inspiration stands more in moments and situations, like when I opened a little flask containing a wonderful 40 year old Glenglassaugh matured in a sherry cask. I did that in a cinema where I was enjoying Verdi’s opera Aïda which was broadcast live from the New-York Metropolitan. It filled the air with wonderful fruit cake aromas so powerful that people sitting noticed it! Amazing and amusing.

My first inspiration is my granny who was the sweetest and gentlest person I have known. But she was so laid back and my grandfather bossed and bullied her. I was revolted by that behavior and it certainly sharpened my awareness of gender role early on. This is also why I am inspired by the complete opposite: the character of Carmen in Bizet’s opera. Incredibly ahead of her time, that fearless, strong and free woman lives life to the brim and refuses to be imprisoned, either by law or by a man. Like me, she is a ‘free electron’.

Johanne McInnis: Whisky Blogger:

I work in the field of project management, which can be difficult. I will often come through the door after a long terrible day and want quiet time, medication for my headache, a hot bath and a whisky.  I will go to the whisky shelf and stare at every bottle until one inspires me to pick it up.  Almost like:  “OK guys, who is the lucky one tonight?” It’s rarely the same.

I pour a good double, sink into the hot bath, plug in my ear buds and let the music and whisky take me away on a mental journey. By the end of that bath I have emptied the Glencairn and noticed the headache is gone. Thirty minutes with a whisky can do that. If that isn’t inspiring, I don’t know what is?

If you are as lucky as I have been, I have had a plethora of women who inspired me along the journey of life.  I carefully picked one after the other.  But something kept nagging at me, something a very dear friend said to me about two weeks before she died of cancer.  She said I should allow myself the time to look at my own life and realize that everything I have survived and done is as a result of my own strength, determination and stubbornness. She held my hand and took me back almost 20 years to when her and I first met; she made me stop that day and look at my own life, look at everything I had done so far and where I was going next. I cried.

Sometimes, especially when we are younger, we become so busy in our own lives that we may not take the time to stop and look back for just a moment and appreciate how far we have come. My life was never easy and I doubt it ever will be.  But I know one thing:  I always believed in myself, even when some of the people I thought were important to me did not.  I had days when I didn’t think I could put one more foot in front of the other or where I didn’t know where the next $20 would come from for diapers [when I was raising my daughter as a young, single mother].  I never gave up on me, ever.  I am proudest of myself for that. So, in honour of my dear friend Susan Flagel who I lost on June 6th 2011, I will say here and now:  I INSPIRE ME.

Kirsty Chant: Owner – Chant Communications:

I love different types of whisk(e)y depending on the location, occasion and those I’m with. But the offering from Compass Box inspires me. Their approach to whisky, from the liquid, to the packaging and the company ethos, is imaginative and engaging. Great King Street was introduced to me a year ago by Chris Maybin and I always have a bottle in my drinks cupboard. Secondly, The Balvenie Tun 1401 range, particularly Batch 5, which are created by Malt Master, David Stewart, who has worked in the industry for 50 years. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a bottle of the Batch 5 last year and it’s stunning. I find both the whisky in its flavours and complexity as well as David – who after 50 years is still being creative and innovative – inspiring.

I think the lovely Georgie Bell from SMWS is doing a pretty damn good job at educating people around the world about whisky and flavours at the moment. I take my hat off to her.

Nicola Young: Whisky Blogger:

There are so many but the one that stands out for me is Glenfiddich.  It’s true what the Whisky snobs say: it’s everywhere and because of this the drams are commonly overlooked at the bar. But Glenfiddich’s core range is iconic, it still enjoys being fully owned by a Scottish family (the Grants), and year after year produces a superb range of exceptionally well balanced whiskies. It’s a reminder of my Scottish or Scotch foundations and heritage, and I can find it behind any bar. It does make me proud to love this truly inspirational dram.

The woman that inspires me has to be Rachel Barrie. I don’t think I have ever seen such passion and drive in one person, regardless of profession – it’s just very fortunate for the Scotch industry that she chose Whisky as her passion and profession.  Her natural flair for commanding an audience with her electrifying enthusiasm is inspirational to watch.

Rachel is spreading the love of Morrsion Bowmore’s brands and Scotch Whisky to the world, and importantly, she is paving a very wide route for woman to aspire and reach the top of the whisky career ladder.

Rachel truly does inspire me and I hope the Scotch Whisky industry can nurture and allow other bright and enthusiastic woman to rise to the top.

*     *     *    

Tune in on Friday – International Women’s Day – to hear stories from more whisky women, including Rachel Barrie herself!

Want to win a bottle of Bowmore Small Batch Reserve and a Jo Malone candle? Then email your stories of the women that inspire you to info@misswhisky.com by the 22 March. The most inspiring story will win the whisky & be published on Miss Whisky while a runner up will win a 35cl bottle of Bowmore 12 year old and have their story shared.

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Martine Nouet speaks to Miss Whisky

November 23, 2012 in Whisky Women

 

In my latest Whisky Women interview, I speak to Martine Nouet, a celebrated food and whisky writer and chef, and former editor of Whisky Magazine France.

In the full interview, here, she speaks of her determination to write about whisky, why she doesn’t believe in positive discrimination to get more women into the industry and her favourite memory of whisky drinking, shared on a beach with whisky writer Michael Jackson.

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Whisky Lounge London: Here come the girls!

April 12, 2012 in Uncategorized

A couple of months ago I was approached by Eddie Ludlow of The Whisky Lounge, who wanted to know if I was keen to help out the team with its new London whisky festival. He and wife (and co-founder) Amanda, were wanting to get a set of events together that might appeal to more women – whether they like whisky already or are just whisky-curious.

Since that meeting, I’ve been busy getting a wonderful set of women together who will be doing Q&A panels at the show, discussing some of their favourite drams and experiences in the industry. I could not be more excited to be doing this. Some have been in the industry for years while others are new, but they all bring an incredible excitement to the world of whisky.

The sessions will each feature three women and be happening at 1:30pm and 6pm on Saturday, 21 April – so, if you’re coming to the Whisky Lounge’s London festival and are keen to hear from some leading whisky women, then definitely grab your tickets and come have a dram with us.

So, without further ado, the wonderful women who have agreed to join in the panels with me are:

 

Rachel Barrie, Master Blender, Morrison Bowmore:

 Rachel is a staple in the whisky industry, having worked as a master blender at Glenmorangie up until late last year where she created award-winning whiskies such as the Glenmorangie Signet and Ardbeg Corryvreckan. Previous to this, she worked at Macdonald & Muir and the Scottish Whisky Research Institute. She got into the world of whisky after following her love for it found, partly, during experiments in the lab at university. Always a proud woman in the whisky industry, Rachel will no doubt add a wealth of knowledge to the talks.

 

Cat Spencer, Head of Marketing, Master of Malt:

Cat is a great lover of whisky and a huge supporter of all women making their mark on the industry. She recently began her role at Master of Malt, having worked previously at the Albannach Bar in central London, where she helped to promote interesting happenings, such as the International Women’s Day event with Compass Box in aid of The Girl Effect in March. She is also founder of a new site called Whisky London, which will feature news about whisky tastings, events and more. Cat – a former New Yorker – is extremely serious about her whisky passions and will inspire even the most unsure whisky drinker to give a dram a go.

 

 

Dr Kirstie McCallum, Global Brands’ Ambassador, Burn Stewart:

Kirstie was Scotland’s youngest female whisky blender when she took over the role of head blender for Burn Stewart in 2007. She is now spreading the good word of the dram to whisky lovers across the globe. And it’s understandable why Kirstie, a Glaswegian, would love the idea of whisky: she gained her doctorate in chemistry before moving into the industry and, as many people know, whisky creation is like a really fun, giant chemistry experiment for adults!


Rachel MacNeill, Owner, Whisky for Girls Islay Tours:

If you’re thinking of going to Islay and you want to do something different, then Rachel is the woman to call on. Having lived in Islay her whole life, the distilleries are as much a part of her as the island. An architect by training, Rachel decided she also wanted to do something to promote the amazing whisky industry that she knows and loves, so began running interactive tours on the Islay which take in the natural landscape and whiskies. This year, she’ll be running Whisky for Girls, a new tour just for us ladies!


Helen Stewart, UK Brand Manager, Scotch Malt Whisky Society:

Helen has worked in the world of whisky for more than seven years – always at the SMWS, having moved into the company straight after graduating from Glasgow University. Like many people, she says she didn’t love whisky straight off and had many preconceived notions about the drink. However, getting to try incredible cask strength samples from SMWS soon changed that and she’s loved her drams ever since. Helen believes there is a whisky out there for everyone, and part of what she loves is finding that special dram for each individual.

 

 

Deirdra McBeth, Brand Assistant, Jameson:

Deirdra has been on the international team of Irish Distillers (the company that owns Jameson) for three years and has worked as a brand ambassador globally, from Florida to New Zealand. In September 2011, she joined the UK team as Jameson Brand Assistant, where she is helping role out the brand plan for Jameson here. While her degree is is communications, advertising and marketing, Deirdra has had extensive whisky training since joining the company and is passionate about extolling the drink’s virtues.

 

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Honouring Women, Whisky and Change

March 7, 2012 in Uncategorized

Here at Miss Whisky I’m big on celebrating all the women who work in the wonderful world of whisky. This doesn’t mean I don’t care about all you chaps either, of course! I just am so glad to share stories of the women who bring so much vibrancy to this industry, especially those who may have slipped the radar in the past.

So, it was with joyous ears that I heard about a rather exciting event happening on Thursday from 6-8pm at the Albannach Restaurant and Bar over near Trafalgar Square. You see, it’s International Women’s Day on the 8th and in its honour the bar has paired up with the fantastic Compass Box whisky to raise money for a brilliant charity called the Girl Effect.

It makes sense that the Albannach would be involved in something like this. Cat Spencer, head of marketing at Albannach, is big on celebrating and honouring fabulous women in business, especially those in the whisky industry. A feisty New Yorker, Cat exudes a effervescent confidence that one cannot help but be impressed by so she’s a great ambassador for a day that celebrates women trying to create equality for females worldwide.

She says teaming up with Compass Box was a “nice meeting of minds” because of the company’s innovation and creativity, along with its roster of great females. The company is putting on four events globally – in San Francsico, New York, London and Beijing – all of which will raise money for a different charity helping women.

The Albannach’s choice of the Girl Effect is one I really feel passionate about. Its focus is quite simple, but very impacting. The charity aims to reach out to impoverished 12-year old girls to try and alter the course of their lives by ensuring they stay in education and have the opportunity to choose when they marry and have children. By putting all their effort into this one small factor, the charity suggests the futures of villages and impoverished communities can be improved globally – you ensure one girl stays in education, she becomes empowered, earns a living, marries later and passes on this independence to her children. It is such a small thing, in so many ways, but so very key. I became really interested in this idea when I was at university (something I had easy access to, being a western woman in this day and age). I studied sociology as my minor and this idea of empowering young girls at critical stages was a well documented way of changing lives for the better. The charity sums all of this up in a powerful video, which I highly recommend you take a couple of minutes to watch (here).

At the event, Compass Box will showcase its range of whiskies and there will be £3 drams and £6 cocktails, with money going towards the charity. All in all, it’s a bit of a win-win situation.

And, this is not an exclusively female event at all – as always in the whisky world, everyone is welcome.

So come down and help honour some of the fantastic women in your life, drink some fantastic drams and raise money to help change the world’s future, one girl at a time!

For more information about the Girl Effect or to watch the video, go to: www.girleffect.org. For further details of Compass Box, go to: www.compassboxwhisky.com. And for information on Albannach Restaurant and Bar, head to: www.albannach.co.uk/. To read the Whisky Women interview with  Cat Spencer, visit: http://misswhisky.com/whisky-women/cat-spencer/

 

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The Woman Celebrating Islay’s Magic

March 5, 2012 in Uncategorized

Photo Credit: James Deane & Becky Drew

It is always exciting for me to discover women working in or around the whisky industry who are determined to do something different. So, I was filled to the brim recently when I stumbled upon Rachel MacNeill, who runs a tour company called Wild and Magic Islay, which celebrates all things whisky on the tiny island.

Rachel is passionate about Islay. She has been drinking the local whisky and loving it since she was in her teens.

“In Islay, we take whisky for granted. I remember when I was 17 we would go to the distillery and we’d have a dram and I was always fascinated,” she said.

But, she didn’t always realise how passionate outsiders were until a fateful visit last year during the annual whisky festival. As a favour, she let a German visitor to the island stay with her after he found all of the hotels and guesthouses already booked up. He was so enthused about all things Islay that Rachel says she realised she sometimes took her close access to incredible distilleries such as Ardbeg or Caol Ila for granted.

“It made me realise that being in Islay is like being in your own body…we’re looking out but the visitors are looking in. You don’t think “Ooo I’ve got a lovely foot!” you just take it for granted,” she explained.

Soon after she started Wild and Magic Islay. The tours focus on highlighting all things that the island can offer up to visitors: from the whisky made there, to the food grown locally, the arts and crafts produced and the guesthouses and hotels that welcome visitors with open arms.

She also aims to celebrate the rather intense weather that is often associated with Islay and encourage stressed out city folk to shake off their tenseness by becoming absorbed in the great outdoors.

“We might be out in the wildest wind with the rain in our faces but then they go back at night and stay in a beautiful guesthouse. It’s not roughing it but they’re getting this fantastic experience in the day,” she added.

In addition, Rachel is focusing on her experience as a whisky-loving woman to create tours specifically for us ladies through an off-shoot of her company called: Whisky For Girls – From Washbacks to Slingbacks.

“I’m aiming at folk who are dipping their toe in the water for the first time. I want to demystify it,” she told me.

The tours can be tailor-made and include everything from a greeting by pipers on arrival at the airport, to esthetic treatments, nights out on the town and, of course, lots of visits to distilleries.

She also includes something called “Dram Theatre” in her tours. These communicate the history and her knowledge of whisky through theatre. She hopes that by talking to people in a fun and engaging style they will better remember what they learn about whisky.

At the end of the day, it is all mostly about having a good time and showcasing the island’s fantastic whisky heritage.

“This is all meant to be fun and happy,” she said.

And, indeed, Rachel sounds like one of the new generation of people attempting to bring a lightness to a fascinating subject to make it more accessible for everyone.

 

 

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