Celebrating International Women's Day 2021
Monday 8th March marks International Women's Day and as a business that works with some amazing women, we have a quick chat about working in the industry. As well as running The Ginstitute experience, making craft spirits and despatching all of our brilliant brands to our customers, Sophie and Kelley have been instrumental in what has been a tough past 12 months so a big thanks to them and all their hard work. Happy International Women's Day!
Sophie:
Which distillery product is your favourite?
Portobello Road Gin Sloeberry & Blackcurrant
What is your favourite drink to make with it?
A Wibble! One of my favourite Dick Bradsell drinks. 30ml Portobello Road Gin, 30ml Sloeberry and Blackcurrant Gin, 30ml grapefruit juice, 5ml crème de mure, 5ml lemon and 5ml sugar.
Give us a fact people may not know about distilling.
You cannot achieve 100% neutral alcohol. Once alcohol reaches an abv in the high 90s the moisture in the air actually starts to dilute it. SCIENCE! Our neutral alcohol is 96.4%
If you could have a drink with any woman, dead or alive, who would it be?
I would love to share a drink or two with Idina Menzel and have a drunken Disney singalong. I have also been known to use a mop as a broomstick after work and belt out ‘defying gravity’ for whoever is listening. She is the ultimate Elphaba and I reckon she would totally be game for that.
Do you have any female role models in the industry?
I really love working with Hannah Sherman-Cox (Co-founder London Cocktail Week) and seeing what she has achieved. I love people who can be an absolute boss lady by day and an absolute nutcase by night. I would also love to do a bar shift with Rasa Gaidelyte (Home Bar), Kelley Hill (The Ginstitute), Jess Hellicar (London Cocktail Club) and Cressida Lawlor (The Pump Room/London Cocktail Club). It would be so loud, but so goddamn efficient! Pav Nagra (Trailer Happiness) on the door of course and Anja Rubin (Identity Drinks/The Tropic Topic) on the floor making everything run like clockwork.
Kelley:
Which Distillery product is your favourite?
Distillery Bloody Mary Vodka! Worcester sauce isn’t the easiest thing to distil, but totally worth it.
What is your favourite drink to make with it?
...a Bloody Mary.
If you could have a drink with any woman, dead or alive, who would it be?
Well, I don’t think drinking with a dead person would be much fun. Right now? ANYONE! I think one of the things we’ve all missed most this year is the company of friends and strangers alike so how about Ginstitute customers.
Do you have any female role models in the industry?
We are all role models for each other. I have been inspired by many and many to come. I know it’s International Women’s Day but I don’t want to single any one out, the fact that we all stand together is enough for me.
More Amazing Women in Drink
Our industry is full of amazing women and we're pleased to stock a range of products that have trailblazing women at the forefront. Take a look at just a few here:
Maria Teresa Lara of Herradura
Dedicating her life to Tequila Herradura, Maria Teresa Lara started out as a quality controller and over the years rose to eventually becoming Mexico's first female tequila Master Distiller. Now retired, her work and impact as a trailblazer for female distillers in the tequila industry has helped open the doors to other female-owned and operated tequila and mezcal businesses.
Rachel Barrie
Scotland's First Lady of Whisky, Rachel Barrie is Master Blender at The GlenDronach, BenRiach, and Glenglassaugh Distilleries and she has the distinction of being one of the few female Master Blenders in the world. Using her university background in chemistry and research at the Scotch Whisky Research Institute, Dr. Barrie has brought her knowledge and skills to many legendary institutions over her 30 year career.
Joy Spence of Appleton Estate Rum
Spirits industry legend Joy Spence became the first woman to achieve the position of Master Blender for her work with rum at Appleton Estate. Starting her career as a chemist at Appleton, she rose through the ranks to Master Blender. Through out her impressive career, she’s received multiple awards and distinctions, including the National Medal of Science and Technology, making her the first Jamaican woman to earn this honour.
Raissa and Joyce de Haas of Double Dutch
Finding that the mixers category wasn't keeping up with the rapidly growing spirits market, dutch sisters, Raissa and Joyce de Haas took things in to their own hands. Creating Double Dutch drinks back in 2015, they continue to grow from strength to strength, most recently selling a minority stake to the Heineken family.