There’s a lot of talk in the bourbon world lately about prominent women in the business.  Marianne Barnes has been touted as the first women Master Distiller since Prohibition in Kentucky.  Pam Heilman and Andrea Wilson are running the show over at Michter’s.  And a recent Filson Bourbon Salon at Oxmoor Farm was dedicated to the topic of Women in Bourbon.

The great thing about all this talk is that the consensus seems to be that women are not at all new to bourbon, but rather women’s contributions are finally starting to be acknowledged.  In fact, if you read Fred Minnick’s book, Whiskey Women: The Untold Story of how Women Saved Bourbon, Scotch, and Irish Whiskey, you’ll read story after story of women who have been running the show in the background since the beginning of time.

I was recently interviewed by the fellas over at Bourbon Pursuit, and I have to say it was refreshing that they didn’t harp on the women in bourbon angle or trivialize my role in the industry.  It really ended up being a footnote, and as Ryan Cecil pointed out, the perception probably has more to do with the popularity of clear spirits over the last few decades than with women’s preferences.  Thank you to Ryan Cecil and Kenny Coleman for taking the time to speak with me.  You can listen to their podcast by clicking here, and check out 007– that’s me!

Photos Courtesy of Bourbon Pursuit