Beverage Industry Inclusion
Liza Cordero , left , the master blender at Don Q Rums by Destilería Serrallés works closely with Silvia Santiago ( right ), the company ’ s senior vice president of manufacturing and maestra ronera , as well as the first female master blender in Puerto Rico .
Women ’ s Work
Female founders and executives are reshaping the beverage alcohol industry
BY MELISSA DOWLING
The “ old boys network ” that has long been the beverage alcohol industry has evolved to accept more women in leadership positions . But there ’ s still a ways to go in terms of true gender diversity , equity and inclusion ( DEI ). A research study about women and DEI released in March 2022 by Women of the Vine & Spirits found that just 10 % of female respondents think there ’ s been a significant positive change toward women in the last five years across the industry . What ’ s more , the Women Raising the Bar study , conducted in collaboration with Deloitte , reveals that a lack of DEI is the number-one issue identified by women that prevents people from considering a career in beverage alcohol .
Some of the female leaders in the industry weighed in on their career experiences and how or if perceptions and conditions had changed in recent years . Like many women , “ I ' ve been dismissed or overlooked by salesmen , tradesmen and vendors throughout much of my career ,” says Remy Drabkin , a lesbian winemaker who founded Dayton , OR-based Remy Wines in 2006 . “ Then there ’ s the frequency of inappropriate and cruel ‘ jokes ’ about our identities and bodies that still make their way into my daily interactions .”
Further , Drabkin says , “ I notice I ’ m still constantly being interrupted by men and experience men repeating my ideas as their own . And , let ’ s not forget the rampant homophobia that still plagues our communities and often surfaces in some of the ways I ’ ve just mentioned . On the one hand , we are a very progressive industry , and simultaneously , an industry crying for reform .”
As such , it helps for women in beverage alcohol to be persistent and resilient . “ Raising capital and building a brand with a female-focused demographic is tough in a male-dominated industry ,” says Dana Spaulding , founder / CEO of single-serve wine brand Wander + Ivy .
Spaulding , who started the company in 2017 , hopes to be an example of how persistence and hard work can pay off : “ We ’ ve raised multiple 7-figure rounds of investment and grown our sales triple digits year after year .”
But it ’ s important to recognize that while the industry remains male-dominated , “ we are making inroads into expanding access into key leadership roles and hiring a more diverse base of employees to bring up through leadership ,” says Jenn Engel , chief commercial sales officer for Republic National Distributing Co .
“ So , while there can be challenges when I am the only woman in the room , I find there are opportunities within that forum to show other women that they , too , can rise through the ranks and make a difference ,” she says . “ I ’ ve been blessed to have not just allies , but advocates who help me take on challenges , take calculated risks and expand my skillsets along the way .”
Ale Ochoa , resident whiskey scientist and head blender at TX Whiskey , joined the company in 2017 . “ I may have been naïve , but I didn ’ t realize it was a male-dominated industry until people began asking me how it was to work in a male-dominated industry ,” she says . “ I ’ ve always been supported in the work I was doing and felt the team ’ s efforts in helping me grow my professional career .”
Joy Spence , who in 1997 became the world ’ s first female Master Blender at rum producer Appleton Estate , agrees .
“ I have been very lucky in that I have always received the support of my colleagues and other people in the field . While women will continue to face challenges in whatever industry it may be , my focus has been not my gender but the technical and creative skills to do the job .”
12 2022 Beverage Industry Inclusion