Skip to main content

9 Women Distillers You Should Know

Historically, the spirits industry has been dominated by men, their contributions immortalized by iconic bottles that bear their names. And although we all love a good Jack Daniel’s, it’s always good to taste the hard work and contributions of not just men; the best spirits should be as diverse and unique as the people that enjoy them. And luckily, women distillers and blenders are stepping up. Around the world, women have been breaking through that distillery glass ceiling, turning the world of distilling and spirits into a more varied and interesting field. From gin to whiskey and everything in between, these are some of the most paradigm-shattering female distillers that you should know about and support.

Kirsty Black

Arbikie Highland Estate distillery on Scotland’s Angus coast has made a name for itself as one of the most experimental distilleries out there with its “farm to bottle” approach, and one of the driving forces behind that innovation is Master Distiller Kirsty Black. Coming from a background as an engineer in the medical device field, Black switched over into distilling, studying at Heriot-Watt University before being asked to helm Arbikie’s (which originated as a multi-generational farm) distillery. Harnessing her passion and interest in plants and their role in the distilling process, Black has quickly found success in producing award-winning spirits, using the farm’s crops and the region’s unique biodiversity to create terroir-driven spirits that capture the flavor of the Angus coast. Her signature work is with gin, such as her namesake Kirsty’s Gin, flavored by kelp, thistles, and bilberry. And she’s also responsible for producing the world’s first climate-positive gin, made using peas. 

Related Videos

Rachel Barrie

Rachel Barrie
KLG PR

Growing up near the GlenDronach distillery, spending misty mornings walking past stone buildings and smelling the rich yeast and caramel notes of finely aged scotch, it stands to reason that Rachel Barrie would pursue a career in Scotch whisky. And what a career: Spanning nearly 30 years and working at some of the most venerable scotch whisky distilleries in Scotland, she’s earned herself the name of Scotland’s First Lady of Whisky. Using her university background in chemistry and experience in Scotch research at the Scotch Whisky Research Institute, Dr. Barrie has brought her refined touch to such legendary institutions as Bowmore, Glenmorangie, and Ardbeg. She now oversees three distilleries — The GlenDronach, BenRiach, and Glenglassaugh — as master blender, and has the distinction of being one of the few female master blenders in the world. 

Victoria Eady Butler 

Victoria Eady Butler

The great-great-granddaughter of Nathan “Nearest” Green, the first-ever Black master distiller and the man who actually taught the Jack Daniels how to distill, Victoria Butler left a career in the Department of Justice to carry on the family legacy. Serving as master blender (and the first Black female whiskey master blender) of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey in Nashville, Tennessee, Butler is committed to making sure people remember her ancestor, who was almost overlooked by history until Jack Daniels finally acknowledged Green’s invaluable contributions in 2016 and Uncle Nearest co-founder, CEO, and historian Fawn Weaver committed to widely sharing his story. And although she didn’t have any background in distilling, she’s taken to it with passion and ingenuity, producing high-quality Tennessee whiskey in both small batch and premium aged options. And blending whiskey is definitely in her blood, as, since joining the company in 2019, her batches have gone on to win awards and quickly build a solid reputation for excellence. 

Nicole Austin

With a resume that includes stints at Kings County Distillery, Cascade Hollow, and now master distiller of Tennessee’s George Dickel Whiskey, Nicole Austin is one of the top figures of distilling in the U.S. and a champion of Tennessee whiskey and bourbon. She’s made a name for herself coming into established distilleries like Kings County to bring innovation and renewal; in her first distillery job at Kings County, she produced a rye whiskey that crashed through the world of American whiskey, winning Double Gold at the 2015 World Spirits Competition in San Francisco. Despite having originally dreamed of being an environmental lawyer, a casual introduction to whiskey while on a date sparked a passion that has led to her life’s work of creating, advocating, and promoting American whiskey and bourbon. In that line, she’s helped launch numerous guilds and organizations dedicated to helping support and elevate those in the spirits industry. 

Molly Troupe

Molly Troupe

Freeland Spirits in Portland, Oregon has been making waves in the spirits world since launching in late 2017, as it’s one of the few wholly women-owned and operated distilleries in the world. Not only that, but its herbaceous gin and smooth whiskey have also earned rave reviews and press, thanks in large part to Master Distiller Molly Troupe. After earning an undergrad degree in chemistry and a graduate degree in distilling and brewing, Troupe teamed up with Freeland founder Jill Kuehler right before their gin operations launched, and her unique infusion process gives Freeland gin its signature freshness and heightened flavors. One only needs to taste or smell a Freeland spirit to know that they are something special, with Troupe’s hand on the tiller to guide the distilling and blending process. She is also the youngest female master distiller in the United States. 

Melanie Asher

If the South American spirit pisco has started to come on your radar more over the last few years, you might have Melanie Asher to thank. Together with her sister Lizzie, Asher launched premium pisco brand Macchu Pisco in 2006 to help introduce drinkers in the U.S. and further abroad to this southern hemisphere staple that is distilled from fermented grape juice. Although pisco hails from both Peru and Chile, Asher produces Macchu Pisco in Peru, making two lines that are in keeping with traditional pisco production methods. The first is made from 100% Quebranta grapes and aged for a year, while the other is an “acholado” blended style of Quebranta, Torontel, Italia, and Moscatel grapes. They also make a luxury line. With its vodka-like neutral base, pisco is ideal for cocktails, but as it can also be aged similarly to whiskey, some types are great for sipping as well. In addition to being a founder, Asher also acts as master distiller and blender, upending the male-dominated world of pisco in South America and sharing it around the globe. 

Maria Teresa Lara

Maria Teresa Lara

Maria Teresa Lara gave women in tequila a lot of firsts, dedicating her life and career to Tequila Herradura, a 150-year-old tequila producer based in Jalisco, Mexico. Starting out as a quality controller, over the years she rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the first female tequila master distiller in Mexico. Although she is now retired, her work and impact as a trailblazer for women distillers in the tequila industry has helped open the doors to other female-owned and operated tequila and mezcal enterprises, like 21 SEEDS and Yola Mezcal. And her protege, Karinna Enriquez, continues to work in the tequila industry as a master tester. 

Marianne Eaves

You can’t drink Kentucky whiskey and not know the name Marianne Eaves: In 2015, she became Kentucky’s first female master distiller since prohibition when she accepted the position at the Frankfort-based Castle & Key Distillery. Approached by the distillery’s founders, who wanted to build a new project on the site of the ruined Old Taylor Distillery, Eaves oversaw the creation of a brand-new distillery and legacy from the ground up, using her expertise in chemistry and as a Kentucky bourbon and whiskey master taster to create renowned brands of London-style Dry Gins, vodka, and rye whiskey. In a move that surprised many, she left Castle & Key in 2019 to pursue new projects, and if her previous success is any indication, whatever comes next will be even greater. 

Joy Spence

In the spirits industry, Joy Spence is a legend. In 1997, she became the first woman in the entire industry to achieve the position of master blender for her work with rum at Appleton Estate, a Jamaican rum enterprise. Starting her career as a chemist at Appleton, she rose through the ranks to master blender, making history along the way. For all her work and dedication to elevating Jamaican rum, she’s received multiple awards and distinctions, including the National Medal of Science and Technology, making her the first Jamaican woman to earn this honor. 

Editors' Recommendations

The best tequilas you can buy for less than $20
These wallet-friendly tequilas taste much more expensive than they are
best tequilas under 20 espolon tequila

Tequila can start a party. It also can end one very quickly. Your focus should stay on those that can star at any gathering. A solid tequila doesn't have to break the bank, either. Also, keep this in mind when looking for quality tequila, affordable or not: Make sure it's 100% agave. Those headache-inducing tequilas of your past were more than likely only part agave -- they just need to be 51%. The additional sugar in those was likely your culprit.

All tequila hails from the Mexican state of Jalisco. All start as Blue Weber Agave and take a wonderful ride to reach their final destination on a drinker's palate. This Mexican spirit has a beautiful, rich history. The excellence of this well-made spirit can be witnessed even in inexpensive versions -- neat or mixed into a tasty margarita.

Read more
The best kegerators for keeping your favorite beers cold and fresh
Fresh beer is better beer. Now, you can have cold draft beer at home or on the go with your own personal beer keg setup.
best kegerator on amazon

There's a wide selection of iconic craft beers and tasty cheap beers available to drink in cans and bottles. But nothing beats a good, heady draft pint served right from a tap or kegerator. As the name implies, a kegerator is a refrigerator that keeps a keg of beer cold and fresh while allowing you to dispense the contents from a built-in pressurized tap system on top.

However, it is a costly appliance, so it’s recommended to do your homework and invest your hard-earned money in a top-notch quality unit that will surely keep your beer fresh. To help you save time on researching the best ones, we’ve rounded up our picks for the best kegerators of 2023, with our selections ranging from on-the-go options to the most innovative dual-tap kegerators.

Read more
Egg nutrition: Should you eat the whole egg or stick to egg whites?
Are eggs good for you?
White eggs in an egg carton.

There's probably no food product that science has gone back and forth on more than the egg. We know it's delicious. We know it makes a great breakfast food, whether you're scrambling up eggs, perfecting that omelet, or eating them hard-boiled (and that's just scratching the surface of egg-related recipes. But should you eat the whole egg, or just the egg white?

Decades ago, when housewives made gigantic stacks of pancakes for the family every weekday morning (at least, that's what TV told us happened) it was an absolute given that you ate both the egg white and the egg yolk. But then people began worrying about their high saturated fat and cholesterol content — and thus began the debate about egg nutrition, and whether it was healthier to eat the whole egg or just the egg white. Which is it? Here's what you need to know.
Are eggs good for you?

Read more