The notion that women are new to bourbon only holds if you’re new to bourbon. The consensus seems to be that women have always worked in the bourbon industry in some fashion or another, though maybe not directly in the public eye. Women have certainly always been consumers of bourbon, though maybe not at the same rate over the last few decades when clear spirits were gaining popularity. In other words, women like bourbon and work in the bourbon industry and this is not news.
Women in the bourbon industry was the subject of last night’s Filson Bourbon Salon at Oxmoor Farm. Andrea Wilson of Michter’s, Kelly Hubbuch of Heaven Hill Brands, and Lisa Wicker of Huber’s Distillery made up the panel. As usual it was moderated by Filson Bourbon Historian and Bourbon Hall of Famer Mike Veach.
There was certainly a lot of talk about women and bourbon, but one of the most insightful statements came from Andrea Wilson. She pointed out that once upon a time men would have stopped drinking bourbon if it had been marketed to women and perhaps that has something to do with the notion that women don’t like to drink bourbon. The major difference between then and now is that women are more open about things like drinking bourbon. A shift has occurred in the culture, not in what women drink necessarily, but in what women drink and do openly. In fact, Kelly Hubbuch echoed this statement, saying, “I think it is a big misconception that women don’t like bourbon.”
The panel also talked about plenty of other topics, such as whiskey taxes, the definition of a Master Distiller, and outdated liquor laws. It was almost as though once we got through the non-issue of women not being new to bourbon, we just talked about bourbon. That’s the whole point of a classic salon-style conversation- to hammer out deep philosophical issues. What’s great about The Filson Bourbon Salon is that you get to drink bourbon while you do so.
Photos Courtesy of Maggie Kimberl. Cover photo courtesy of Shutterstock.com/Igor Normann
