Women and spirits: To the stills!

Whether we think of James Bond and his martini (with a shaker, not a spoon!), Don Draper from Mad Men and his old fashioned, or Bill Murray's character in Lost in Translation, always with a whisky in his hand, alcohol—and spirits in particular—have often been associated with a very masculine universe. However, women are far from strangers to it: many have even made it their profession!

This is not just a matter of modern history. Historically, women were numerous in the world of alcohol manufacturing in Europe and North America. As early as the 16th century, they were already a major influence in the world of aqua vitae (eau de vie/brandy).

Today, they keep some of the world's largest distilleries thriving, whether as master distillers or through the unique perspective they bring to spirits.

Stephanie Macleod became an icon in the whisky industry when she was awarded Master Blender of the Year at the 2019 International Whisky Competition. The first woman to receive the award, she is now driven by the same passion that plunged her into the wonderful world of distilling in 1998.

While she never envisioned a career as a distiller during her studies, it was her first work experience at the University of Strathclyde's Food Quality Centre in Scotland that led her to her calling. 

"I have been working at Dewar's since 1998. Prior to that, I worked at the University of Strathclyde's Food Quality Centre, where I studied the flavour of Scotch whisky in relation to its chemical composition," she explains.  "At Dewar's, I held various positions in quality, then took over management of the laboratory, before becoming a designated distiller and finally master distiller in 2006. I am very proud to be a Master Distiller at Dewar's, a company that is carrying on 176 years of distilling traditions and shaping them for the future."

Today, Stephanie Macleod is helping to highlight and promote the different opportunities that exist in this business for women: "In recent years, at Dewar's, we have been determined to not only market ourselves to students and graduates, but also to invite them to join our internship and graduate programs.  We now have new talent and most of them are women, and we're proud of that!"

Founder of the new Quebec-based spirits brand Hera, Marissa Fortin launched her first product a little over a year and a half ago; a whisky with an alcohol content of only 25%—something never before seen in the industry. The idea for Hera came from my personal taste, because I really like the flavours and subtlety of whisky, but I think it's too strong," she says. Over time, I realized that there were a lot of people like me who wished they had access to a milder product."

Marissa Fortin doesn't consider herself a distiller, but rather a creator, as she doesn't distill her own whisky: "I use a five-year aged Canadian whisky. Even though I don't distill my own alcohol, it was very important to me that it be local," she says. 

Inspired by discovery, progress and diversity, Fortin has created an elegant and refined product with a lower alcohol content that accommodates society's changing tastes.

"The competition in the whisky industry is strong, yes, but I don't consider myself to be competing with brands that have been around for centuries, such as Glenlivet. I've created a product that is new to the market and meets a different demand. I think that designing a new product should be done for the right reasons," she concludes.

Lesley Gracie hardly needs an introduction. The legendary master distiller revolutionized the gin industry more than 20 years ago by creating a unique rose and cucumber infused Scottish gin recipe that is unlike any other gin in the world. Since then, she has strived to continually innovate to maintain the brand's global reputation.

"With my background in chemistry, I started working in the pharmaceutical industry playing with different flavour combinations to mask the bitterness of new drugs, so that they would taste good enough to drink," she confides. 

Isabelle Rochette was one of the first women to master the still in Quebec at the beautiful Cirka distillery. Isabelle has had several lives before turning to the profession of distillation. A career path that makes her an exciting and passionate distiller.

"I always say that my career path has been long and winding and that becoming a distiller is a happy coincidence. I have dabbled in design, photography, worked for a long time in IT at Ubisoft, and studied sommellerie. My entire journey resonates in what I do today, especially the sommellerie. Because in distillery as in sommellerie, you are always learning, you never stop learning, and that's precisely what I like most about my job", she summarizes.