Distilling has long been dominated by white men, but that’s changing as a new generation of diverse distillers is becoming more visible. If you’re interested in finding distilleries which are run by women, people of color, or queer people, then a map of distilleries from Women in Distilling aims to highlight distilleries run by marginalized people.
The Women in Distilling map recently added its 250th location in the U.S., showing everything from women-owned gin distilleries to BIPOC-led cachaça distilleries. The map also shows whether the distilleries are open to the public, so you can look for distilleries to visit in your area.
The project was started by Karen Locke, who was a freelance writer who found it difficult to locate places led by women and people of color for her stories. “Anecdotally, I heard people in the industry say there weren’t many women in distilling, but in a decade writing about craft spirits, I knew it was more likely these people weren’t getting the exposure and recognition they deserved,” Locke said.
Since the map launched in 2019, Women in Distilling has helped to promote the work being done by many marginalized people in the spirits industry who have been overlooked.
Trailblazing figures like Vanessa Braxton of Black Momma Vodka, the first African American woman to serve as Master Distiller or Master Blender in the state of New York, spoke about the impact of the map: “Women in Distilling is at the forefront of the spirit industry, exposing woman Distillers passionate about the skills and artistic side of Distilling. What an honor to be featured in a prestigious editorial among my peers! Period!”
