Celebrating Leaders in Whiskey
Women are rocking the whiskey world. From our rock star master distillers, to master blenders, brand ambassadors, bartenders and more, women are blazing a trail of excellence and hard work throughout the industry. They deserve recognition and celebration from the whiskey world and the women who buy their products.
Bourbon Women is proud to present the inaugural WOW (Women of Whiskey) awards, to celebrate these change-makers. The first-of-its-kind awards ceremony celebrates women throughout the industry displaying excellence and elevating women and the role they play in making the great whiskey loved around the world. As the first female-focused bourbon consumer organization, and the host of the first national conference, Bourbon Women SIPosium is now creating the first awards ceremony to uplift and support women in the industry.
These awards recognize and celebrate the women in the industry who are leaders in their craft, providing opportunities for connection and community in the spirits industry, who uplift and develop the women and underrepresented members of their team, and who represent the very best of the talented women in the whiskey industry.
The award criteria are designed to be rigorous in helping the judging panel evaluate the individual not only on her own merit but also on how she is changing the role of women and under-represented communities in the industry, how she uplifts others, leads and connects people throughout the industry to make the spirits community stronger. For this reason, we are asking for letters of recommendation for many of the awards, both from within and outside of their companies. The judging panel expects a demonstration of each judging criterion to be addressed by the letters and supporting information.
2023 WOW Winners Announced
- Legacy Achievement Award: Rebecca Harris (Founder, Chief Distiller, Catoctin Creek Distilling Co.)
- Master Distiller/Production Manager of the Year: Alex Castle (Master Distiller and Senior Vice President, Old Dominick)
- Master Blender of the Year: Heather Greene (Master Distiller, Founder and CEO, Milam & Greene Whiskey)
- Brand Ambassador of the Year: Angel Teta (National Guardian of Advocacy & Brand Culture, Angel’s Envy)
- Woman-Owned Brand of the Year: Heaven Hill Brands
- Bartender of the Year: Tiffanie Barriere (The Drinking Coach)
- Spirits Influencer/Podcaster of the Year: Sara Ahlgrim (It’s Bourbon Night
- Spirits Writer of the Year: Pheobe Calver (Editor, American Whiskey Magazine)
- Spirits-Diversity Program of the Year: Beam Suntory
- Mike Keyes Champion/Ally of the Year: Emma Hutchens (Chief of Human Resources, Heaven Hill Brands)
Here is a list of the finalists for each category for the 2023 WOW Awards:
- Legacy Achievement Award: Rebecca Harris (Founder, Chief Distiller, Catoctin Creek Distilling Co.), Marcia Likarish (The Mother of Texas Whiskey, Distillery Manager, Ironroot Republic)
- Master Distiller/Production Manager of the Year: Alex Castle (Master Distiller and Senior Vice President, Old Dominick), Melinda Maddox (Head of Production, Old Elk Distillery)
- Master Blender of the Year: Amanda Beckwith (Lead Blender & Education Manager, Virginia Distilling Company), Heather Greene (Master Distiller, Founder and CEO, Milam & Greene Whiskey)
- Brand Ambassador of the Year: Valerie Colella (Single Barrel Specialist and National Ambassador, Castle & Key), Angel Teta (National Guardian of Advocacy & Brand Culture, Angel’s Envy)
- Woman-Owned Brand of the Year: Heaven Hill Brands, Virginia Distillery Co.
- Bartender of the Year: Tiffanie Barriere (The Drinking Coach), Ingrid Folkers (Whiskey Kitchen)
- Spirits Influencer/Podcaster of the Year: Sara Ahlgrim (It’s Bourbon Night), Mackenzie Hanes (Basement Rickhouse)
- Spirits Writer of the Year: Pheobe Calver (Editor, American Whiskey Magazine), Margarett Waterbury (Editor, Distiller Magazine)
- Spirits-Diversity Program of the Year: Beam-Suntory, Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey
- Mike Keyes Champion/Ally of the Year: Emma Hutchens (Chief of Human Resources, Heaven Hill Brands), Alan Laws (President and Founder, Laws Whiskey House)
More about the inaugural WOW Awards below
SOLD OUT: AUG 25th | 6:30 PM | Louisville
About the WOW Award Nomination and Judging Process
Each year, Bourbon Women opens nominations for 4 weeks for companies, communities, establishments, media companies, and groups to nominate women they feel represent the top movers and shakers in the industry. During those weeks, information should be submitted with specific examples of how the nominations meet the specific criteria for each WOW award type.
Once nominations are closed, a small group of five industry experts will judge the applications with a scoring rubric based on how well the individual’s submitted information displays the criteria for that award. The judges will remain anonymous and are not influenced by the companies and brands that support Bourbon Women, the Bourbon Women Foundation, or the WOW awards.
During the judging process, 2 finalists will be selected for each category. The finalists will be invited to appear in person as a special guest of Bourbon Women at the WOW awards at the Bourbon Women SIPosium. We encourage all candidates and finalists to attend the WOW awards program where industry professionals and consumers alike will gather to recognize and celebrate women in the whiskey industry at this one-of-a-kind event.
Women of Whiskey WOW Awards 2023
The following is a list of the 10 awards for this inaugural year, with the expectation that these categories could be increased each year as the WOW awards expands to recognize all of the important ways and roles that women are changing and shaping the whiskey industry:
Master Distiller/Production Manager of the Year
Master Blender of the Year
Woman-Owned Brand of the Year
Brand Ambassador of the Year
Spirits Writer of the Year
Spirits Influencer/Podcaster of the Year
Bartender of the Year
Mike Keyes Champion of the Year
Legacy Achievement Award
Spirits Diversity Program of the Year
To see the criteria for each of these awards, please click through at the link below. Nominations closed June 23rd at midnight PST. If you have any questions about the process, please email info@bourbonwomen.org
WOW Award Criteria
Winners of the WOW award are judged on criteria below. The nomination forms ask for specific examples of how the nominee displays these attributes.
Nominations closed June 23rd at midnight PST
Woman-owned Brand of the Year
Criteria: Vision, Entrepreneurship, Quality, Advocacy, Execution
Spirits Inflencer/Podcaster of the Year
Criteria: Creativity, Production, Digital Engagement, Authenticity, Community-Engagement
Legacy Achievement Award
Criteria: Innovation, Leadership, Inclusivity, Impact, Excellence
Master Distiller/ Production Manager of the Year
Criteria: Leadership, Team development, Innovation, Problem-solving, Teamwork
Spirits Writer of the Year
Criteria: Knowledge, Communication, Professionalism, Integrity, Creativity
Bartender of the Year
Criteria: Hospitality, Mixology expertise, Problem-solver, Inclusivity, Organization
Spirits Diversity Program of the Year
Criteria: Champion, Collaboration, Impact, Diversity, Inclusion, Innovation
Master Blender of the Year
Criteria: Ingenuity, Sensory awareness, Creativity, Product focus, Market awareness
Brand Ambassador of the Year
Criteria: Communication, Passion, Creativity, Connection, Network, Knowledge
Mike Keyes Champion of the Year
Criteria: Mentorship, Advocacy, Empowerment, Development, Education
Inaugural WOW (Women of Whiskey) Awards Presentation
Consumers and industry joined us on Friday, August 25, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky as we celebrated the finalists and award the winners of the WOW awards during our Bourbon Women National SIPosium conference. Over 400 industry and consumer attendees supported and cheered on the women who are blazing trails and taking charge in the whiskey industry.
6:30 p.m. Cocktail reception
7 p.m. Dinner and awards presentation
Regency Ballroom
Hyatt Regency, Louisville, KY
320 W Jefferson St.
Louisville, KY, 40202
Have a Question?
Drop us a line if you have a question we can help with in the nomination process. Let us know how we can help.
Supported by the Bourbon Women Foundation
This event wouldn’t be possible without the support of our Bourbon Women Foundation. The Foundation’s mission is to support the professional development and training of women in the spirits and related industries to change the face of bourbon and whiskey. You can support our 501(c)3 foundation here: