Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women & Their Contributions to the Distillery Scene

Here at Distillery Nearby, we love celebrating impactful national holidays and observance months. Today, we’ll be discussing and focusing on Women’s History Month, a time of the year when we celebrate the history of America’s women – and how they’ve impacted different sectors and industries. Namely, we’ll be focusing on the distilling industry in today’s post. So, let’s dig in and chat about the history of women in distilling and even touch on some women-owned distilleries!

What Is Women’s History Month?

Women’s History Month is a time to reflect on the adversities that women have faced as our nation has grown and evolved from its pilgrim days. Women, as can be seen from everything they’ve overcome, are resilient and dedicated to equality and fairness – and they have an uncanny ability to keep getting back up and fighting for what’s right.

When Is Women’s History Month?

Women’s History Month happens every year during the entire month of March. The entire month of March is dedicated to this celebration – you’ll probably hear about unit studies in public schools that focus on different women throughout history during the month of March. This is a great time to learn more about the impact women have had in many different industries and spheres of influence throughout history – even if you aren’t in school anymore!

Women’s History in the Distilling Industry

All throughout history, women have been at the forefront of the distilling scene. Long before the Industrial Revolution, women were using at-home stills to distill spirits – and it was even considered “woman’s work!” These at-home apparatuses were part of the labor-intensive “housework” that women were in charge of. 

Over time, things changed, and distilling at home (from about 1500 to 1660) somehow became synonymous with “black magic,” leading to many women being burned and otherwise prosecuted. Furthermore, the rise of the Industrial Revolution further reduced women’s status in comparison to men – as jobs in the cities were selective, women were left at home to tend the house and children.

But they didn’t let that stop them. Some women picked distilling back up after their husbands passed, while others continued distilling under initialed documents, hiding their true identity. This makes it harder for us to retrospectively assign credit where credit is due, but it remains a testament to the times these women were living in. 

A Few Notable Women in Early Distilling

As we mentioned, there were few women who proudly owned their female names on spirits they distilled; however, as time went on, the distilling scene softened to a female presence in the distillery (even though at-home distilling, the original source of spirits, was completely run by women). Here are a few women of note within the early distilling scene:

Mary the Jewess

The world’s most famous alchemist (early distillers) was, in fact, a woman. Somewhere between the 1st and 3rd century AD, Mary the Jewess invented the three-armed copper still that is the precursor to the alembic – a still in use today.

Catherine Spears Frye Carpenter – Sour-Mash

Prior to Catherine’s new recipe, mash tended to vary greatly and produce differing end products. This makes sense since bacteria are involved in the fermentation process for creating alcohol. Completely new fermentations every time will lead to different ratios of bacteria. 

Catherine Spears Frye Carpenter was the first to suggest using a fraction of the previous mash batch to “start” the next batch – much like we do with sourdough. This “recipe” or process was eventually picked up and revolutionized by the famous James C. Crow. This method is used across the globe to this day.

Bushmills Distillery Owner Ellen Jane (E.J.) Corrigan

You’ll notice that Ellen went by E.J. in her early years, when her husband ran the distillery – even though Bushmills was known for providing equal opportunities for women and widows. After her husband passed away in 1865, she took Bushmills international. Even when she sold the company, Ellen remained on the board.

The Women of Prohibition

There was one important thing of note during prohibition that allowed women to mostly fly under the radar and provide spirits to the general public: in many states, it was illegal for male officers to physically search a woman. Even where it was legal, it was definitely socially unacceptable. This fact allowed many women to avoid being caught – and many capitalized on it. One such woman was Gertrude “Cleo” Lythgoe, known as the “Queen of the Bahamas.” She not only smuggled booze into the US, but she also had a legal booze shop in Nassau.

Maker’s Mark “Mother” – Marjorie Samuels

Co-owner of the Maker’s Mark distillery, Marjorie Samuels was in charge of marketing and her husband was in charge of the distilling process. It’s actually thanks to Marjorie Samuels, in 1959, that Maker’s Mark has its signature “red wax” seal and hand-torn label. This marketing move, in one fell swoop, distinguished Maker’s Mark from other same-shelf brands, making it stand out to this day.

Marjorie Samuels, rightfully, has a place in the Bourbon Hall of Fame.

Modern Women in Distilling & Some Women-Owned Distilleries

Nowadays, we seem to have forgotten about the distillery scene’s rich, female, history. For a long time, distilling was seen as a man’s game, even though early American men used to look for “at-home distilling” as a talent valued in a female partner. It’s amazing to see how the tables have turned and shifted back towards celebrating women’s roles in the distilling scene. To acknowledge women in distilling is to acknowledge the very roots of this community at large.

Let’s take a look at some amazing women in the distilling scene today:

Victoria Eady Butler – Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey

In Nashville, Tennessee, Victoria Butler celebrates Nathan “Nearest” Green (he taught Jack Daniels how to distill whiskey and was the first Black master distiller) with every bottle that Nearest Green Distillery turns out. This woman-owned brand not only celebrates a return of women to the distillery scene but also is a celebration of Black American influence on the current state of distilling in America.

Learn More: Black History Month Spotlight: Black-Owned Distilleries Across the USA

Molly Troupe – Freeland Spirits, Portland, Oregon

Launched in 2017, Freeland Spirits has been churning out delicious, aromatic gin and whiskeys that have garnished great reviews in the press. Molly Troupe, owner of Freeland Spirits, has a Bachelor’s in chemistry and a graduate degree in brewing and distilling. She was also (as of April 2021) the youngest female master distiller in America.

Marianne Eaves: Kentucky’s First Female Master Distiller Since Prohibition

If you’re from Kentucky or love Kentucky whiskey, you probably know this name. She’s a huge influence on the Kentucky distilling scene, having accepted a position with Castle & Key Distillery in 2015. She worked there for four years, helping them develop new London-style gins, rye whiskeys, and vodkas.

SIA Scotch Whisky – Carin Luna-Ostaseski

Carin set out into the distilling scene with one goal: to break down the stereotype that scotch is just for old men. Carin’s favorite cocktail to recommend with her affordable, delicious whisky is the Glasgow Mule.

And So Many More!

There are far too many female influences on modern distilling than we could possibly mention here. However, you’re probably within driving distance of one and you may not even know it! Female-owned distilleries are popping up all the time, and we highly recommend you do some local research (our “by state” page can help with this) and find a local distillery to visit.

Cocktails Crafted By American Women for You to Try:

If you’re looking for some delicious cocktails designed by women in the bartending and distilling scenes, you can’t miss out on the following beverages. Give them a try, while celebrating how much women have brought to this amazing community over the decades and centuries!

The Simone de Beauvoir

Crafted by: Morgan Stana, bartender at Le Diplomate

Ingredients

1 oz gin

½ oz Espirit de June

5 oz blood orange juice

½ oz blood orange liqueur

5 dashes lemongrass & mandarin orange bitters

3 dashes hibiscus syrup

Recipe

Stir the ingredients together with ice and garnish with a blood orange slice.

The Ruth Bader Gin & Juice

Crafted by: Rachel Kling, bartender at Quill Bar, Jefferson Hotel

Ingredients

1 oz Gin

1 oz Sauvignon Blanc

¾ oz lime juice

¼ oz lavender honey

¾ oz pomegranate juice

1 dash grapefruit bitters

Muddled jalapeño

Sugar for the rim of the glass

Recipe

Into a cocktail shaker, muddle two jalapeño slices (with the seeds removed) into your gin. Add the Sauvignon Blanc, lavender honey, lime, pomegranate juice, and bitters, and then shake over ice. Use a sugar-rimmed coup glass and double-strain the mixture into the glass.

The Sigridsdatter

Crafted by: Jessica Woods, bartender at Room 11 

Ingredients

¾ oz malted aquavit

¾ oz gin

1 oz pear poaching syrup

½ oz lemon juice

2 dashes black walnut bitters

Recipe

Shake all ingredients together and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish the drink with star anise.

Distillery Nearby: Your Source for Finding Local, Women-Owned Distilleries

Here at Distillery Nearby, we want to make it easy for you to find local, craft distilleries. We bring you local listings for distilleries so that you can venture out and try new things. To view local distilleries near you, check out our “by state” page. Or, if you are a woman who owns a distillery in America, get in touch with us to get featured during the month of March (or any other time, too)!

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