Welcome to the Bourbon Women Community!

We believe there’s nothing more beautiful than a woman with her bourbon and this entire blog is dedicated to our adventures, news from our branches, educational and event opportunities, and job opportunities within our industry.

    Meet the Makers: Boss Molly Bourbon Co-Founders

    Meet the Makers: Boss Molly Bourbon Co-Founders

    Who else has started a business over bottles of bourbon and a girls' poker night? Brandi Bowles, Kate Rosante and Victoria Horn, founders of Boss Molly Bourbon hatched the idea of a bourbon brand that celebrated women without alienating men set their sights on their...

    Meet the Makers: Hannah Lowen, VP of Operations at New Riff

    Meet the Makers: Hannah Lowen, VP of Operations at New Riff

    Hannah Lowen, VP Operations at New Riff Distilling, moved from running political nonprofits to running a distillery as their VP of Operations. We hear a bit about her journey here, and learn what a VP of Operations does (spoiler alert - a little bit of everything)....

    Moms Deserve Bourbon (Women Membership)

    Moms Deserve Bourbon (Women Membership)

    Moms who love bourbon always need more bourbon and more friends to share the sipping experience with.  This year, we're running a special to give the special moms in your life the gift of a Bourbon Women membership. Gift memberships are just $60 right now, $15 off our...

    Lexington Brewing and Distilling Bourbon Job Opening

    Lexington Brewing and Distilling Bourbon Job Opening

    Lexington Brewing & Distilling has a full-time salary position available for a Single Barrel & Events Coordinator in Lexington Kentucky. Dave Bob Gaspar, Events and Activations manager said, " This is for an entry-level position that will come with a lot of...

    2023 Angels Share SIP Scholarship Winners

    2023 Angels Share SIP Scholarship Winners

    The Bourbon Women Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 Angels Share SIP scholarships.  These women, selected from the largest and strongest pool of applicants ever, represent the change and empowerment our consumer organization is dedicated to....

    Sonja Hunt of ABVJobs

    Sonja Hunt of ABVJobs

    Sonja Hunt, Founder and CEO of ABV Jobs, started in hospitality, transitioned out, then returned with a passion for transforming the whiskey industry and using her expertise in Human Resources to facilitate diverse hiring and development of individuals. Our favorite...

    Twenty Terms for Bourbon Beginners

    Twenty Terms for Bourbon Beginners

    Bourbon is a drink that has been enjoyed by people for centuries. It’s a drink that has been passed down from generation to generation, and it’s one that has stood the test of time. But if you’re new to the world of bourbon, it can be a little overwhelming. There are...

    2023 SIP Scholarship Program

    2023 SIP Scholarship Program

    Updated May 5, 2023.  The Angels Share SIP Scholarship Class of 2023, supported by the Bourbon Women Foundation has been announced. See the announcement here. Bourbon Women is more than just a group of women who love bourbon. We are a community that believes in paying...

    BOURBON WOMEN TRIPETTE

    BOURBON WOMEN TRIPETTE

    We are so excited to invite you to join Bourbon Women, along with founder Peggy Noe Stevens, on our first ever Tripette – a curated, intimate and exclusive mini-Sip in Tennessee May 11 – 14, 2023 featuring private distillery tours, exclusive dining experiences,...

    Meet the Makers: Denise Petty Tasting Room Manager of Catoctin Creek

    Meet the Makers: Denise Petty Tasting Room Manager of Catoctin Creek

    This week we catch up with Denise Petty, Catoctin Creek Distilling Company, Tasting Room Manager. Her path from fiber optics to hospitality to tasting room manager may not have been expected, but it's clear she and Catoctin and thriving in their success. Her perfect...

    Buzzard’s Roost Southeast Sales Manager Position Opening

    Buzzard’s Roost Southeast Sales Manager Position Opening

    Hot off the press: Southeast Sales Manager position is opening at Buzzard's Roost. Buzzard’s Roost Spirits, LLC, headquartered in Louisville, KY is seeking a Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast US. This is a remote position, and the desired location is the...

    Meet the Makers: Jennifer Cissell of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival

    Meet the Makers: Jennifer Cissell of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival

    Meet Jennifer Cissell, Vice President of Operations and Administration for Kentucky Bourbon Festival. She plans and executes one of the largest whiskey festivals in the country (and that's saying something). Learn how she went from tour guide at Beam to her current...

    Meet the Makers: Barbara O’Connor of Hermitage Farm

    Meet the Makers: Barbara O’Connor of Hermitage Farm

    Hermitage Farm in Oldham County, Kentucky, may be one of the few places in the country you can sip bourbon in a horse barn. And Barbara O'Connor, Director of Tours and Tastings of Hermitage Farm brings bourbon to new drinkers on a daily basis. In this Meet the Makers,...

    Meet the Makers: April Gray of The Bourbonaire

    Meet the Makers: April Gray of The Bourbonaire

    This time on Meet the Makers, we talk to April Gray, who took over The Bourbonaire Group in St. Louis after her husband passed away in 2020, continuing his legacy and also supporting the education and connection between new bourbon drinkers throughout the city. Rather...

    2022 Not Your Pink Drink Winners

    2022 Not Your Pink Drink Winners

    Bourbon Women is pleased to announce the winners of the Not Your Pink Drink contest held on November 10, 2022, in Louisville, KY.  This event, sponsored by Beam-Suntory's James B. Beam Distilling Co and Maker's Mark showed the attendees the expertise and beautiful...

    2022 Not Your Pink Drink Finalists Announced

    2022 Not Your Pink Drink Finalists Announced

    Bourbon Women is thrilled to announce the finalists competing in Louisville, KY for the title of best Amateur and Professional Not Your Pink Drink Cocktail on Nov 10th. Tickets for the in-person cocktail contest sponsored by Beam-Suntory's James B. Beam Distilling Co...

    Jennifer Brandt, Master Blender of Luca Mariano Distillery

    Jennifer Brandt, Master Blender of Luca Mariano Distillery

    Like so many women, Jennifer Brandt's journey in the whiskey industry just fell into place, and it all started with a Strawberry Bourbon Iced Tea. She's currently Master Blender for Luca Mariano Distillery and and she discussed with Bourbon Women the importance of...

    Meet the Makers: Courtney Sandora, Go Social Owner

    Meet the Makers: Courtney Sandora, Go Social Owner

    Leading a spirits-focused communications company sounds like a dream job, but originally journalism major Courtney Sandora chose PR over a position at Reuters for a better salary in New York. She never looked back. Today she owns and runs Go Social, a communication,...

    Not Your Pink Drink Cocktail Contest 2022

    Not Your Pink Drink Cocktail Contest 2022

    Get your shakers ready to win the bourbon cocktail contest of the year, the Bourbon Women Not Your Pink Drink Cocktail Competition! We've been getting questions about our Not Your Pink Drink contest and it's BACK and sponsored by our friends at Beam Suntory! We're...

    Job Posting: Master Blender at Three Notch’d Distillery

    Job Posting: Master Blender at Three Notch’d Distillery

    Please contact Angela Carrodeguas, HR Director, for more information or to apply: email: angela@threenb.com Phone: 305-301-9166 Job Title: Master Blender Compensation Type: Salaried Exempt Direct Report: Chief Executive Officer Job Summary: The role of our Master...

    Meet the Makers: Tia Edwards, Co-Founder of Fresh Bourbon

    Meet the Makers: Tia Edwards, Co-Founder of Fresh Bourbon

    Tia Edwards, Co-Founder of Fresh Bourbon discovered there was no one bourbon to start a bourbon journey and decided to create one, and to create more acceptance of drinking your bourbon however you like it! BW: Tell us about how you got started on your path to...

    Meet the Makers: The Bourbon Bohemian – Ramona Jackson

    Meet the Makers: The Bourbon Bohemian – Ramona Jackson

    For Ramona Jackson, the Bourbon Bohemian, the interplay of whiskey flavors with cocktail elements is a palate to paint with, and her cocktail business thrives with unusual and compelling flavor combinations.  Read more about her journey as the Bourbon Bohemian below....

    Meet the Makers: Jill Kuehler of Freeland Spirits

    Meet the Makers: Jill Kuehler of Freeland Spirits

    In this week’s Meet the Makers we talk to Jill Kuehler, Founder and CEO of Freeland Spirits in Portland started in 2017. Freeland Spirits is dedicated to hiring diverse employees and understands the strength and resilience that builds into any company. We talked with...

    Whiskey Brunch Cocktails are a Girl’s Best Friend!

    Whiskey Brunch Cocktails are a Girl’s Best Friend!

    Brunch doesn't have to be all bloody marys and mimosas! Reach for the whiskey instead fo celebrate brunch with girlfriends. At Captains Quarters in Louisville, the Kentucky Branch met to learn a little about whiskey and a little about brunch cocktails. With three...

    Meet the Makers: Abisola Abidemi, Founder of Abisola Whiskey

    Meet the Makers: Abisola Abidemi, Founder of Abisola Whiskey

    Abisola Abidemi, founder of Abisola Whiskey, made her first whiskey sales just shy of a year ago, May 10, 2021, after starting her journey to her own whiskey brand a year before. Find out a little about how her passion for whiskey led her to start a whiskey brand with...

    Meet the Makers: Molly Troupe: Master Distiller at Freeland Spirits

    Meet the Makers: Molly Troupe: Master Distiller at Freeland Spirits

    We talked with Molly Troupe, Master Distiller, and partner at Freeland Spirits in Portland, Oregon about her role at the woman-led and run distillery that’s putting women first both in their company and as their mission within the spirits and beverage community. As...

    Last Chance for Buzzard’s Roost Rare Bottle Raffle

    Last Chance for Buzzard’s Roost Rare Bottle Raffle

    UPDATE 3/29/22: Last chance to win a rare bottle of Buzzard's Roost 15 year old whiskey! These ultra rare bottles are select whiskey donated to Bourbon Women to support our Bourbon Women Foundation. Purchase your raffle ticket here:...

    Meet The Makers: Widow Jane President & Head Distiller Lisa Wicker

    Meet The Makers: Widow Jane President & Head Distiller Lisa Wicker

    Lisa Wicker has had a dynamic career in beverage alcohol. She grew up in Indiana and always seemed to have some science experiment bubbling in her grandmother's sauerkraut crock. Little did she know she would eventually find her career path first in winemaking and...

    Meet The Makers: Great Wagon Road Distiller Michelle Piechowicz

    Meet The Makers: Great Wagon Road Distiller Michelle Piechowicz

    The road to becoming a distiller isn't always a straight one, and it can start just about anywhere. In the cast of Great Wagon Road Distiller Michelle Piechowicz, the road started with a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Science. BW: How do you use your background in...

    Meet the Makers: LA Spirits Awards Co-Founder Nicolette Teo

    Meet the Makers: LA Spirits Awards Co-Founder Nicolette Teo

    After a career as a three-time Olympic swimmer in her native Singapore, Nicolette Teo pivoted to a career in wine and spirits. This career included a stint as the Managing Director of the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) from 2015 to 2018 before she...

    Meet The Makers: Blaize & Brooks Founder Cara Osborne

    Meet The Makers: Blaize & Brooks Founder Cara Osborne

    A bout of homesickness and a reading of Fred Minnick's Whiskey Women led Bourbon Women member Cara Osborne to create her own whiskey brand, Blaize & Brooks. BW: What led you to the decision to start your own whiskey brand? CO: In November of 2019, I read Fred...

    Meet The Makers: Catoctin Creek Master Distiller Rebecca Harris

    Meet The Makers: Catoctin Creek Master Distiller Rebecca Harris

    Rebecca Harris had a background as a chemical engineer when her husband and business partner, Scott, came up with the idea of opening a distillery. Eventually Catoctin Creek was born and the rest is history! BW: How did you find yourself owning a distillery and...

    Warm Cocktail Recipes

    Warm Cocktail Recipes

    It's time to sit by the fire with a book and a warm drink! Whiskey is a lot more versatile than most people imagine. Warm drinks tend to do really well with a little added whiskey, whether that's in your apple cider, cherry cider, hot cocoa, tea, or even your holiday...

    Bourbon Women Holiday Gift Guide

    Bourbon Women Holiday Gift Guide

    The Bourbon Women Association has a lot of options when it comes to holiday gifts! Aside from Bourbon Women apparel, which will show your Bourbon Women colors everywhere you go, there are books, bar tools, and more - something to please every Bourbon lover in your...

    Whiskey Punch Recipes

    Whiskey Punch Recipes

    Offering cocktails to guests in your home may be second nature by now, but what if you want to enjoy your own party? Punches are a great way to ensure your guests get a perfect cocktail every time while at the same time you aren't making individual cocktails all day...

    Meet The Makers: Uncle Nearest Master Blender Victoria Eady Butler

    Meet The Makers: Uncle Nearest Master Blender Victoria Eady Butler

    Victoria Eady Butler is a force of nature in the whiskey blending world. A descendant of Nearest Green, Butler had barely retired from her decades-long career in law enforcement before embarking on her new passion project, blending whiskey for the Uncle Nearest brand....

    Bourbon Books For The Beginner

    Bourbon Books For The Beginner

    With so many options available for Bourbon books, it can be daunting to figure out where to start in your Bourbon education. Podcasts, websites, and magazines are full of more information than you could ever possibly digest, and it's important to have a broader...

    Meet The Makers: Big Nose Kate Co-Founder Melissa Heim

    Meet The Makers: Big Nose Kate Co-Founder Melissa Heim

    Melissa Heim was distilling at Rogue Spirits back in 2008. Her whiskey journey didn't stop there, and today she is co-Founder and Master Blender of Big Nose Kate Western Whiskey. BW: I love what you said on your LinkedIn profile about believing in potential over...

    Planning A Bourbonism Trip To Louisville

    Planning A Bourbonism Trip To Louisville

    Welcome To Bourbonism Louisville is the epicenter of Bourbon. It's easy to get flights into Louisville and if you are driving there are three interstates that will lead you to the Bourbon City. Once you get here, there are numerous distilleries just in downtown...

    2021 NYPD Finalist Cocktail Recipes: Roots & Shoots

    2021 NYPD Finalist Cocktail Recipes: Roots & Shoots

    Mara Hartings is the leading bartender for Bardstown Bourbon Company. Roots & Shoots 1 1/2 oz Rabbit Hole Cavehill 1 oz Angelica Tea 1/4 Ginger Rich Syrup Garnish with Grapefruit peel Ginger Rich Syrup: Juice the ginger, add 3 times that weight of water. Divide...

    Meet The Makers: Reservoir Head Distiller Mary Allison

    Meet The Makers: Reservoir Head Distiller Mary Allison

    There are a surprising number of theater majors in the whiskey business. We recently caught up with one of them, Mary Allison, who is the Head Distiller at Virginia's Reservoir Distillery. BW: At what point did you decide to become a distiller? MA: I do not think...

    2021 NYPD Finalist Cocktail Recipes: Stone Cold Churchill

    2021 NYPD Finalist Cocktail Recipes: Stone Cold Churchill

    Jennifer Brian is the Founder of Make & Muddle, a company that specializes in cocktail mixers and education. Stone Cold Churchill 1.5 oz Rabbit Hole Boxergrail Rye 1.5 oz Rabbit Hole Heigold Bourbon 0.5 oz Make & Muddle Spiced Cherry Vanilla Syrup 0.5 oz...

    Meet The Makers: Rex Whiskey CEO Chaunci King

    Meet The Makers: Rex Whiskey CEO Chaunci King

    Chaunci King is the Founder and CEO of Royalty Spirits, which includes a line of CBD cocktail mixers, Miru Vodka, and Rex Whiskey, a rye whiskey aged in Bordeaux and Burgundy wine barrels from the Pacific Northwest. She can best be described as a "serial...

    2021 NYPD Finalist Cocktail Recipes: Sherry Cherry Bang Bang

    2021 NYPD Finalist Cocktail Recipes: Sherry Cherry Bang Bang

    Jessica Sarama is a bartender at Murphy's Pub in Cinncinnati who participated in our 2021 Not Your Pink Drink cocktail competition at Rabbit Hole Distillery. Her Sherry Cherry Band Bang was a hit! Sherry Cherry Bang Bang 2 ounces Rabbit Hole Dareringer Sherry Cask...

    Meet The Makers: Tropical Distillers Master Distiller Devin Walden

    Meet The Makers: Tropical Distillers Master Distiller Devin Walden

    From a job at Woodford Reserve to becoming Master Distiller of Tropical Distillers in Miami, Florida, Devin Walden has yet to become a household name but she's well on her way. BW: Your career has ranged from bartending to bottling to sales to production. How has this...

    Uncle Nearest The Little Easy Smoked Cocktail Recipe

    Uncle Nearest The Little Easy Smoked Cocktail Recipe

    Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey is always coming up with new and great cocktail recipes. Experimenting at home with cocktails is a great way to gain the confidence you need to walk into a bar and order exactly what you want, and if you aren't sure you have it you will...

    2021 NYPD Finalist Cocktail Recipes: Apricot Sour

    2021 NYPD Finalist Cocktail Recipes: Apricot Sour

    Becky Yannayon, Belle Meade Culinary Loft Mixologist/ Chef pairings Executive Bourbon Steward, was a finalist at the 2021 Not Your Pink Drink cocktail competition. Her apricot sour recipe had a great balance of sweet and sour. Try it for yourself! Apricot Sour 2.5...

    Meet The Makers: Pinhook CEO Alice Peterson

    Meet The Makers: Pinhook CEO Alice Peterson

    Pinhook Whiskey releases whiskeys in "crops" each year, so you never get the same whiskey twice. It's released when it is deemed ready, and one of the revolutionary ways the brand has found to connect with its fanbase is a text-to-buy option. We recently caught up...

    Meet The Makers: Koval Founder Sonat Birnecker Hart

    Meet The Makers: Koval Founder Sonat Birnecker Hart

    Koval Distillery is a Kosher-certified distillery in northern Chicago founded by two former university professors from the Washington DC area. Koval is Yiddish for "black sheep," a reminder of the Jewish side of the family. Meet Koval Founder Sonat Birnecker Hart and...

    Meet The Makers: SIA Scotch Founder Carin Luna-Ostaseski

    Meet The Makers: SIA Scotch Founder Carin Luna-Ostaseski

    Carin Luna-Ostaseski is in a rare class of whisk(e)y brand founders: one of the few Hispanic women to found a Scotch brand. She also took an unusual path to start SIA Whisky in starting with a Kickstarter campaign! Oh, and she's also one of the only 6% of pilots in...

    Honorable Mention Cocktails: Brown Sugar Grapefruit Sour

    Honorable Mention Cocktails: Brown Sugar Grapefruit Sour

    Grapefruit is a winter fruit, but it makes a great summer cocktail! Thank you to Katy McAvoy for submitting this to our amateur division in our 2021 NYPD Cocktail Competition! Brown Sugar Grapefruit Sour 2 oz Rabbit Hole Cavehill bourbon whiskey 1.5 oz fresh...

    Honorable Mention Cocktails: Watermelon Rye-Zing

    Honorable Mention Cocktails: Watermelon Rye-Zing

    Watermelon goes surprisingly well with whiskey, making for a refreshing summer cocktail combo. Thank you to Katie Mazur for submitting this recipe to our 2021 NYPD Cocktail Competition amateur division! Watermelon Rye-Zing 1/2 cup cubed watermelon 3oz Rabbit Hole...

    Meet The Makers: The IX Bourbon Founder Brittany Penny

    Meet The Makers: The IX Bourbon Founder Brittany Penny

    Brittany Penny is the Founder of The IX Bourbon, pronounced "The Nine," a project she dreamed up during sleepless nights with her newborn. She wanted to do something that not only honored the "firsts" achieved by African-Americans but also that would rise above the...

    Honorable Mention Cocktails: Under The Kentucky Sun

    Honorable Mention Cocktails: Under The Kentucky Sun

    Did you know that jams and jellies can make a great cocktail sweetener in a pinch? Use them in place of simple syrups if you don't have the time to make it ahead of time. Thank you to Adina L Ewaldz for this delicious cocktail recipe! Under the Kentucky Sun 1 1/2 oz...

    Honorable Mention Cocktails: Honey Cinnamon Old Fashioned

    Honorable Mention Cocktails: Honey Cinnamon Old Fashioned

    We had some fantastic Honorable Mentions from our amateur entries this year for Not Your Pink Drink! Thank you Carrie Cole for this Old Fashioned riff, which she says is "a sweet and spicy take on a classic cocktail." Honey Cinnamon Old Fashioned Rabbit Hole...

    Honorable Mention Cocktails: Peppercorn & Rosemary Pineapple Sour

    Honorable Mention Cocktails: Peppercorn & Rosemary Pineapple Sour

    Simple cocktails are great because of their simplicity, but sometimes you need to complicate things a little. Enjoy this sour submitted by Bardstown Bourbon Co. Regional Brand Ambassador Leslie Bryan! Peppercorn & Rosemary Pineapple Sour Muddled black peppercorn...

    Flight of Rye and Cherry Pie

    Flight of Rye and Cherry Pie

    Bourbon Women love high proof spirits and this flight of Rye Favorites from Bourbon Women founding member Cynthia Torp gets even better with a food pairing of cherry pie.

    Honorable Mention Cocktails: Smoke Justis Mango Madness

    Honorable Mention Cocktails: Smoke Justis Mango Madness

    If it grows together, it goes together, right? Well, it's definitely worth investigating. Mangoes and Bourbon don't exactly grow together, but in this cocktail they certainly go together! Check out this Honorable Mention cocktail recipe submitted to our NYPD Cocktail...

    Honorable Mention Cocktails: Cold-Hearted Cadillac

    Honorable Mention Cocktails: Cold-Hearted Cadillac

    The Bourbon Women Association just announced the finalists for our 2021 Not Your Pink Drink Cocktail Competition, sponsored by Rabbit Hole. We had a lot of great entries, but unfortunately only ten were chosen for the finals. But we wanted to share a few of the...

    Support Bourbon Women & Become Part of Our Membership

    Like what Bourbon Women does & want to support the organization?
    Sign up for a paid membership to help Bourbon Women grow, and get yourself some special perks! 

    Get Us In Your Inbox!

    Love what you’re reading? Want to get more involved? Want to drink more bourbon? Sign up for our newsletter & be the first to know everything we’re up to. Cheers!

    Pin It on Pinterest