With International Women’s Day coming up, we are celebrating the amazing women of Dartmoor Whisky by raising a dram to their continued hard work, determination and passion for the business.
A Brief Overview of Women in Whisky
Women love and always have loved the process of distilling, buying and drinking whisky – but why does whisky always appear to be targeted at men and men only? To this day, the idea that ‘whisky is a man’s drink’ and that it is ‘too hard and smoky for women’ is still commonplace. There is now a cohort of women seeking to irradiate the stereotype that whisky should be enjoyed by men only – women have always been a part of the process, so why aren’t women part of the conversation Pioneering women are to thank for the majority of the much-loved alcohol we consume today, especially the whisky we love and adore. It simply would not exist today without women.
So, where did this all start? For starters, we can praise a woman named Maria Hebraea, an alchemist who invented the still in an attempt to create gold – alcohol was not the initial result. However, the accidental creation was a blessing in disguise. Fast forward thousands of years, the age of prohibition came into play. Prohibition, as we know, did nothing to eliminate the production or consumption of alcohol. Instead, women became rather savvy in their methods of smuggling and hiding alcohol. This came in all shapes and forms, from hiding bottles under their skirts to cars full of bootleg whisky. Dartmoor Whisky has a team of wonderful women working across the entire business, and without them and the fantastic work they continue to do, Dartmoor Whisky would not be able to thrive. Meet our team of wonderful women below…
Women at Dartmoor Whisky Distillery
Karen
I’m Karen Millar and I work on the admin side of the Distillery and also in the Distillery Shop. It’s an exciting growing business. It’s always a pleasure to see people arrive at the shop after a Whisky Tasting Experience so enthralled with the story and the whisky. My favourite expression is the Bourbon Cask, it’s very smooth and not too sweet.
Anita
My name is Anita and I am excited to say I am working for Dartmoor Whisky Distillery as Telesales Rep & Shop Sales Assistant.
I have been in the industry working for several companies as a Rep and Office Manager selling drinks and spirits, but working for a distillery is fantastic, seeing the passion and the product from source to bottle and the wonderful story behind the whisky.
My favourite Dartmoor Whisky is the Ex-Bourbon Cask – a smooth palatable perfect dram.
Abby
My Dad started Dartmoor Whisky Distillery in 2015, just as I finished my degree in Advertising and Marketing at Bournemouth University. With my passion for championing craft food and drink and a new budding career as a freelance marketer helping food and drink brands to grow, it was only natural that I started helping Dad to shape the Dartmoor Whisky brand. Dad has been the mastermind behind a lot of the marketing, but things got serious when we raised £30,000 via Kickstarter in 2016. Still today, the team and I at Altum Media are guiding the direction of the brand and managing the digital marketing on behalf of the distillery. The English whisky scene is one I’m proud to feel part of, and it’s honestly full of some lovely folk.
The best expression for me has to be the new Limited Edition Bordeaux superior cask which I was lucky enough to taste the other day – it is so smooth, so sweet and so very more-ish. This will be launching in a couple of months, so stay tuned.
Alison
I’m Alison, I’m on the board of Directors and give my advice on the direction of the business during board meetings. I love being part of a whisky distillery.
My favourite tipple has got to be the Bordeaux Cask!
