MEANINGFUL MENTORS When she was chief chemist at J . Wray and Nephew Ltd . rum , Spence worked with Owen Tulloch , the master blender at the time . “ My interest in the industry grew through our interactions ,” Spence says .
Tulloch saw that Spence had an organoleptic talent — the ability to detect , identify and differentiate between aromas , “ and with his guidance , I was able to extend my knowledge of the science of rum-making to include the artistic side as well ,” she says . “ My love , my passion for the spirit , has now become a part of my DNA .”
Another influence on Spence was fellow chemist Dr . Rachel Barrie from Scotland , “ who was part of the Women in Spirits Forum in the United States when I was just starting out in the industry and encouraged me to continue along my path .”
Spence encourages young women to think outside of the box with their careers , “ because when I was their age , I could have never imagined the path ahead of me . I am also currently mentoring David Morrison , senior blender at Appleton Estate , who will be instrumental to Appleton ’ s exciting future .”
Liza Cordero , who was promoted to master blender at Don Q Rums by Destilería Serrallés in March 2022 , has had “ wonderful people who have guided me through this industry .” One is Luis Fuster , the company ’ s previous distillation manager ; another is Silvia Santiago , the first female master blender in Puerto Rico .
Santiago , who also holds the title senior vice president of manufacturing and maestra ronera , has been with Serrallés for 49 years . “ I continue to work with Silvia in the master blending area and continue to learn from her ,” Cordero says .
“ I have also had the opportunity to be a mentor to a new generation of engineers that work in our plant ,” Cordero adds . “ It is so rewarding when you start talking to them about the industry and see how that passion , that commitment , that responsibility , starts to build up in each one of them .”
Ochoa cites Jim Manley , an IT / OT engineer at TX , and a whiskey connoisseur , as one of her mentors . “ Jim shared the knowledge and whiskeys he had available to teach me about different styles , the profiles that came from processes or regions , and the history of whiskey ,” she says . “ I went from being able to recognize whiskey to identifying the overall contributions of grains , yeasts and barrels . This has been especially valuable as I began working in blending .”
Drabkin says she was taken in and mentored by the Ponzi Vineyards winemaking family early on . She also worked for Rob and Maria Stuart of R . Stuart & Co . Winery during her high school years .
“ Rob gave me a lot of responsibility early on and trusted me with essential leadership functions like running the bottling line when I was just 16 .” And Rollin Soles of ROCO Winery “ has always inspired me and pushed me to be a better winemaker .”
Spaulding notes that her board members are some of her greatest mentors and supporters . “ Dale Katechis , founder and former CEO of Oskar Blues , and Rita Valois , former CIO of Treasury Wine Estates , are the two industry veterans on my board ,” she says . “ I strive to be a mentor and supporter of all the founders around me , not just those in the industry . Building that community can be so powerful .”
WHERE THE BOYS AREN ’ T Attractive pay , company culture and work / life balance are the most critical career objectives for women , outpacing learning / development opportunities and having challenging responsibilities , according to the Women Raising the Bar study . And when it comes to factors that most contribute to a lack of diversity in leadership positions , the perception of industry bias toward men tops the list .
“ Rum is especially a male-dominated field , and I think the alcohol industry as a whole can seek out candidates where they are versus the traditional route of hiring from within ,” Spence says . Higher education should do more to encourage women into the field , she adds .
“ As an industry , we need to be present where students are — ensuring awareness of the diverse career paths within the industry and informing students about the opportunities in all aspects of the business ,” agrees Engel . RNDC is working with colleges and universities to expose more people to the industry . For example , it partnered with Florida State University to make the RNDC Beverage Certificate available to all full-time students .
Ale Ochoa , resident whiskey scientist and head blender at TX Whiskey , joined the company in 2017 .
Brittany Merrill-Yeng cofounded the peanut butter-flavored whiskey brand Skrewball with husband Steven Yeng in 2018 .
Republic National Distributing Company ’ s Jenn Engel is the first female chief commercial sales officer in that niche of the industry .
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