Women In Beverage
British entrepreneur Richard Branson . He is a leader who motivates others to achieve what they desire without stepping on others to get there .
Branson loathes the formality of suits and ties and believes the value of people is what they contribute to the organization , not what they look like or the path they took to get there . I ’ m inspired by the way he provides opportunities to those who may have been overlooked because they didn ’ t fit the mold .
Maggie Kimberl
Maggie Kimberl is president of the Bourbon Women Association as well as content editor of American Whiskey magazine and a freelance spirits journalist focusing on whiskey .
How did you get into the beverage alcohol business ? I have told this story so many times that I think people are starting to think I made it up ! When my kids were little I needed a part-time job , and there were no kids at the liquor store . I ’ d work three nights a week , learning about each category .
I started learning about craft beer during the craft beer boom then decided to learn about wine . I quickly figured out that wine people were not my people .
I have always been into the farm-to-table movement , and at one point I started looking at the bourbon aisle and realized that ’ s what was made here so maybe I should learn about that .
I had the opportunity to meet many Master Distillers , as this was back in the days when they would sit around in liquor stores signing bottles and doing tastings and most people didn ’ t know who they were . One night during [ Kentucky ] Derby week Jim Rutledge , who was with Four Roses at the time , was in my store for about four hours . But it was so busy I couldn ’ t get over to talk to him .
Then he started packing up to leave and I had to go on break , and as I was in the
Maggie Kimberl
break room he came through the door with bottles in one hand and cups in the other and said , “ You didn ’ t get to do my tasting !”
He sat down with me for about 20 minutes and taught me the proper bourbon tasting technique , a little about Four Roses ’ history , and the different flavor profiles of their ten different recipes .
That was my ‘ aha !’ moment . I quit my job shortly after that and began writing about whiskey because I knew I had to tell the whole world about this stuff .
What makes you a successful leader ? I think the fact that I balk at the idea of being called successful or a leader is a start . I work hard and I try to help as many people as I can . I do what I do because I love Kentucky and I get to meet a lot of awesome people . Do good but take no crap .
How important is mentorship ? Did you receive any coming up , and do you provide it to women in your organization ? I have always had a difficult time with mentorship . I remember asking someone in college how to get a mentor and she said it was something that just happened , and so when it didn ’ t “ just happen ” for like a decade I realized she must have been wrong .
I ’ ve been fortunate to have a lot of people offer me assistance when I get stuck on specific things and those people have meant a great deal to me in my career . I always try to offer help on specific things when I am asked , but formal mentoring arrangements still seem odd to me .
But the Bourbon Women Association is a great place to find a mentor , especially with our Amber Circle Cohort training program , which will select applicants from the community to receive special training and mentoring as well as help with things like LinkedIn profiles and presenting yourself professionally online and in person .
How has your company benefited from having women at the table making decisions ? Because I work exclusively with women these days , I have seen the dynamic shift in previous companies that were not related to beverage alcohol .
Bringing a diverse group of voices to the table has actually been shown to improve profitability because multiple perspectives keep us out of the echo chamber . It ’ s always refreshing to see men in particular realize they aren ’ t used to differing perspectives , feel challenged , and then realize there are benefits to opening the table up to others .
From my side of the table , it ’ s rewarding to feel that my perspective is being taken into account , and that leads to greater company loyalty . There ’ s nothing worse than feeling like you aren ’ t listened to or taken seriously in your career .
Who are your professional role models ? There are a lot of awesome women in the distilled spirits industry . Lisa Roper Wicker is at the top of that list because we have such similar backgrounds and work ethics . I love Marianne Eaves for having the audacity to walk away from a dream job to dream even bigger . I admire the heck out of Becky Harris at Catoctin Creek for her work organizing craft distilleries in the hand sanitizer effort .
I admire the women who came before me and busted open the glass ceiling so I could get to the next level , like Peggy Noe Stevens , Joy Perrine , Susan Reigler , Margie Samuels , Marlene Holmes , Pam Heilmann , Andrea Wilson , Elmer Lucille Allen , and more . Women like Jackie Zykan , Elizabeth McCall , Joann Street , Brittany Penny , Amanda Victoria , Nic Christansen , Alex Castle , and so many more inspire me every day . I had to start a series on the Bourbon Women Blog called Meet the Makers to spotlight the amazing and talented women in the brown water industry !
Caterina Sacchet
Caterina Sacchet , winemaker from Carpineto winery
How did you get into the beverage alcohol business ? In reality I was born into it . My father , Gi-
10 2021 Women in Beverage