Celebrating the contributions of women shouldn’t be just a one month a year event – it should be an everyday celebration! In honor of Women’s History Month, we’ve pulled together some of our favorite women-owned and women-led companies making powerful strides in the spirits industry. We want to thank and shine a light on these five inspiring brands that empower women every day of the year!
Martell Blue Swift
Martell is one of the oldest Cognac houses with an incredible 300-year history of producing high-quality spirits. As a pioneer in the cognac industry, Martell is passionate about celebrating and uplifting cultural vanguards in our everyday life.
In particular, the “Soar Beyond the Expected” campaign spotlights and champions black women, including s artist Janelle Monaé and cognac educator Franky Marshall, who have pushed boundaries and instigated change. The “Soar Beyond The Expected” video features Monaé as she discusses overcoming obstacles. “I have wanted to use my voice to make a change,” Monaé says, “while supporting those who are underrepresented to use their voices to do the same.” Martell continues its commitment to BIPOC communities and women’s empowerment by donating $200,000 to the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation, which funds projects that advance opportunities and education for BIPOC women in the restaurant industry.
Martell also pays homage to heroes of hospitality with a limited-edition “Cocktail of the Future” kit, including The Ideal Bartender by Tom Bullock, the first cocktail book published by an African American bartender in 1917.
Martell Blue Swift is made of cognac VSOP and then finished in bourbon barrels. We recommend serving it on the rocks or in a craft cocktail. Our personal favorite is Blue Swift in the Martell Swift Sour.
Inspiro Tequila
Inspiro Tequila is a women-led company that features a clean, gluten-free, and versatile spirit. Mara Smith, a former attorney from Chicago, wanted to craft a tequila that was additive-free as she was not drawn to the traditional offerings.
She connected with master distiller Ana María Romero Mena in Mexico, and together they crafted Inspiro, which means “inspired” in Spanish. The company offers a carb-free, sugar-free, and gluten-free spirit that looks as good as it tastes. I’m especially excited to try the Inspiro Rosa Reposado, a tequila aged in rosé wine barrels. Pink hued tequila? I don’t think there is any better way to celebrate women!
Mara also initiated Inspiro Tequila’s “Purple Bicycle Project,” which lends financial support and mentorship to female founders to help them get started and enable them to follow their dreams despite hardships. In addition, Inspiro has sponsored WFN fast pitch competition, a professional development grant through the Enthuse Foundation, and sponsored Pay it Forward grants through Ifundwomen.
Freeland Spirits
“From the gals who grow the grain to those who run the still, we’re creating superior spirits that celebrate all the Northwest has to offer.” Freeland Spirits was started by Jill Kuehler, who connected with now Master Distiller Molly Troupe.
Jill and Molly met through mutual friends in Oregon, and the details quickly fell into place. Through a shared passion for fresh ingredients, local farming, and blazing trails in a world traditionally dominated by men, these women have created a beautiful product that is as empowering as it is delicious. The brand’s motto is, “She flies with her own wings.” After learning their story, I would say these women have done exactly that. I am a huge fan of what is coming out of the Pacific Northwest, and Freeland is no exception. I’m not alone, in my opinion, either. Wine Enthusiast recently made some waves when it named them in its “Top Eleven Bourbons” to try. A few were outside Kentucky, including Freeland Bourbon, who was given a prestigious 94 out of 100 points.
In an interview, Jill shared that opening a distillery is no small feat, especially as a woman. "Women are at such a disadvantage when you look at bank financing. Less than five percent of small bank loans go to women. It took years to finally open the doors. It was such a huge accomplishment," she said. Freeland Spirits makes gin, dry gin, Geneva, bourbon, and canned cocktails in bottles shaped aesthetically like a raindrop.
Woodford Reserve
Elizabeth McCall is a trailblazer in her own right. She began her career in the sensory department, which led to her becoming the youngest female distiller in the U.S. She was named Assistant Master Distiller in 2018 and was recently named Master Distiller at Woodford Reserve. She is only the third person to hold the title in the brand's history as she takes over the job from Chris Morris.
When asked what it means to lead as a woman in the spirits industry, Elizabeth said, “That it’s something that I am actually very proud of, and I have just learned to embrace it, and be so proud of it because there are so many women that have probably wanted to do something like this years ago and couldn’t, and never saw someone in a role like that, to see that they can do that themselves.”
Woodford was founded in 1996 and has a range of products that are all great examples of bourbon. Brown-Forman, the parent company of Woodford Reserve, has been championed for years for training, elevating, and retaining women in all levels of jobs across their brands. Women account for 48% of the global senior leadership positions across the entire company!
Johnnie Walker
Johnnie Walker is not only a well known, respected Scotch label, but it is a company determined to lead the charge in empowering women, most recently with the release of “Jane Walker,” the female version of the company's male logo, which was also blended by the company’s first female blend master, Emma Walker (no relation).
Emma Walker is the first female master blender in the 200-year history of Johnny Walker. In an interview with Forbes Magazine, she comments on being a woman in the male-dominated industry, “The diversity is reflected in our distillery management and we see female operators, coppersmiths, coopers, engineers across our sites in Scotland. So, I don’t really feel like a trailblazer. I’m one of the team, in an industry as diverse as our whisky.”
As a woman myself, it's impressive to see how Johnnie Walker is committed to female advancement. Indeed, they have multiple partnerships to enhance this commitment. Johnnie Walker started the “First Strides” initiative to fund, mentor, and champion women entrepreneurs and leaders. Johnnie Walker has partnered with Lilly Singh, who adds her voice to help accelerate women in leadership, raising awareness for First Strides, which champions female leaders and the unique challenges they face on the path to progress. They also partner with IFundWomen (a place for women-owned businesses to find funding and aims to close the funding gap for women-owned businesses) and She Should Run (a nonprofit building gender equality in elected office, including programs to help women understand their leadership potential).
The best way to support Women's History Month is to support female entrepreneurs and businesses that champion all the incredible women blazing new trails and inspiring our daughters to reach their dreams and potential! So, be sure to explore the full range of women-led spirits while supporting these exemplary ladies.
