Meet the women shaping English whisky
This St. George’s Day we asked six women who are shaping English whisky what it’s like to be behind one of the fastest-growing and exciting new world whisky categories.
Whisky making in England is nothing new – records suggest it was being made as long ago as 1800. Yet in the last decade a resurgence has taken hold and now, in 2023, around 50 distilleries across the the country are making or in the process of making whisky. The founding of the English Whisky Guild in 2022 has only confirmed that the category is going from strength to strength.
So, what better day to celebrate this exciting new world than on St George’s Day (23 April)? We asked six women in English whisky, from distillers and blenders to ambassadors and brand founders, what they love about the category and what the future holds for this exciting spirit.
Claire Vaughan, founder, White Peak Distillery
“I grew up in Derbyshire (as did my husband and White Peak co-founder, Max). We moved away for a few years and then back to the area with our three children in 2010. We built a house together and really enjoyed the process, so why not build a business together? In 2011, after a chance conversation at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) tasting rooms in London, and hearing about the plans for a distillery in London, the dream was born. The idea of single malt whisky made in Derbyshire began to take shape. In Feb 2016, looking for a home for the distillery, we visited the former Johnson & Nephew Wire Works. It was a pivotal moment for me; I get this now, this makes sense, this is where whisky should made.
“I started drinking whisky in my late 20s. It was my dark spirit of choice, and I was introduced to it by Max - he would generally pop down to the SMWS after pay day each month and buy us a bottle. Whisky now is a passion. I feel a sense of pride to be making whisky in Derbyshire and also to be building a long-term brand, one that hopefully will be successful and enjoyed long beyond our personal time frames.
“It’s an exciting time in English whisky, and the number of new entrants has grown a lot since we started. The English scene is characterised by founder-led, craft-scale producers with a common interest in making great whisky. The world of whisky wasn’t my natural habitat until relatively recently. For years, as a PE Teacher, I was more at home running a sports session! That said, I’m now embracing the importance of being a founder in this category.
“Doing my part to be more visible as a female founder in English whisky is a personal challenge but one that is incredibly important. It’s not something that comes naturally as I’m more comfortable behind the scenes, but it’s important to raise awareness and support diversity and inclusivity in the sector. English whisky isn’t anchored to any legacy expectations, it can write a new play book from a unique position in history and plan for a category which encourages innovation, high standards and inclusivity.
“If you’re a woman wanting to join the industry, don’t wait for the ‘right time’ or until you have all the answers. If you’re passionate and believe in what you’re doing, then get involved. Don’t be afraid of asking questions and asking for help, there are lots of generous people in the sector and no-one has all the answers. Whisky is a conversation and a journey.”
Isabelle Gormezano Marks, head of marketing, East London Liquor Company
“Being a part of the English whisky category is exciting but inevitably a challenge, which is exactly what I wanted to be part of after coming from my last role in low and no [working for Small Beer Co]. I love working on brands that people might not expect to find or even know exist. That’s where the fun can really start, especially in whisky, where there are already so many assumptions about the category flying around.
“My perception of the category before I joined was that it had a lot of untapped potential. The English Whisky Guild is doing a great job of starting to put English whisky on the map, but I love that the conversation is even bigger than that. Being part of the ‘new world’ whisky wave is the real winner for me. We’re not leaning on being a whisky distillery that just so happens to be south of the Scottish border. It’s about more than geography. We’re constantly evolving, led by flavour and only flavour, to make sure we show up as the kind of whisky we’d like to drink.
“We introduce ourselves as East London Liquor, ‘named after the place and soaked in its spirit’ and I take that really seriously. We’re not just representing an incredible corner of our capital, we’re also benefitting from it. So we need to make sure that our east London roots go more than label-deep. Our namesake is no vanity project and making sure that we tap into being ‘East London’ never gets boring. There is such a high concentration of creative culture happening on our doorstep and my job is to slap everyone across the face with as much of it as possible –figuratively of course.
“Being a woman working in whisky feels quite similar to working in beer, which is that it matters to show people that ‘women drink whisky too’. But it’s also an eye opener into all the other ways whisky isn’t always well represented. Gender is just one of many things we need to work on and it’s humbling to get just a small taste of what it’s like not to see much of yourself in your surroundings.
“It’s not all tartan and leather armchairs, so don’t think there’s only ‘one type’ of whisky company to work for in the UK. The more talent that comes through the doors from less conventional luxury/whisky/drinks backgrounds, the easier it will be to avoid the usual tropes of how the category should behave. There’s a lot of blue sky thinking to be done to get brands acting in a way that is just as exciting as the booze can be. I for one am here for it.”
alice pearson, distillery manager, The cotswolds distillery
“This year, I moved from working mainly in sensory to managing our new whisky distillery (although I’m still involved in the higher level sensory work with our whisky). I have been involved in The Cotswolds Distillery since the launch of the whisky in 2017, and at the time to mention English whisky was kind of very unheard of. Now, while English whisky might not yet be a household name, most people are not in complete disbelief when you mention an English whisky distillery. Since 2017, the amount of distilleries that have opened has grown massively - only a couple of years ago I could name maybe two or three, but I think a lot of the smaller ones are really holding their own now.
“We had the English Whisky Guild here recently for a meeting. It’s nice to see the collaboration between the distilleries because when a category is taking off like this, people often pit the similar ones against each other. To see everyone in one room and the collaboration is cool - we’re like 1% into that journey so i’m looking forward to seeing what comes out of it.
“It is a privilege being a part of a smaller category: you get to see 1,000 success stories of people who fell into it and stayed because they love it and are good at it. It’s a natural progression of talented people falling into the right place, providing opportunities in distilleries’ local areas.
“I never really thought about being a woman in the industry deeply until taking on my recent promotion. I had only seen it as an older man’s job and I think generally in any manufacturing environment you’d expect to see a man. I quite often will have whole email interactions with servicing people and they will call me Alex the whole time until they hear a female voice on the phone - it really makes me laugh, the surprise.
“For the future of this category I hope for two things that sound like they contradict each other: that the category maintains its agility but also retains all the good things about the tradition behind whisky. There is a reason people fall down the whisky hole - I want that spark to stay.”
sarah burgess, whiskymaker, the lakes distillery
“Moving from Scotch to English whisky doesn’t actually feel too different. I thought there would be a big differentiation, but actually I think it is just pure geography. English whisky being an emerging category is the thing that attracted me to joining The Lakes because, although the category isn’t new, every other distillery I’ve worked at is 200-ish years old, so it’s new in the grand scheme of things. The idea that I could operate and play with flavours more freely than you can in Scotland, because the regulations aren’t as tight in England, is the fun part of it. It’s about having fun but also weaving legacy stock for makers in the future.
“My dad has been involved in a lot of distllery builds so he has regularly come back from new distilleries with product which means I’ve tried lots of different distillates at different stages. I really loved what Dhavall [Gandhi, Lakes’ previous whiskymaker] did; I’m also fond of the Bimber whiskies and I also really enjoy The Cotswolds distillery’s whiskies.
“Since I’ve joined Lakes I’ve really got under skin the of the distillery to find all the points we can flex and create different characteristics within the new make. I’ve spent the last weeks sampling of all of the stock, doing a sensory assessment on everything that exists – it’s like you’re going to bake a cake and you go in to the larder and see what ingredients you’ve got to decide whether you’re going to make a Victoria sponge or a chocolate cake.
“Right now English whisky is young, fresh and vibrant - there is a lot of energy behind it and I hope that energy continues. I will also create lots of opportunities for people whom the industry was closed to because of geography, and I think it will be something that English and British people will become increasingly proud of and it becomes one of those things you would identify with this country.
“As a woman I have experienced some negativity over the years but I’m quite a strong character so if you’ve got a negative attitude towards me that isn’t justified, I don’t care. My strength of character has been my best ally over the years. I’m really excited about pushing the boundaries.”
abbie neilson, founder, cooper king distillery
“Successfully establishing and running a sustainable distillery from scratch, with no prior experience, was a huge undertaking. I took a seed of an idea that started in Tasmania, brought it back to England and nurtured it into a fully operational distillery that’s at the forefront of the English whisky movement.
“Before Cooper King, I drank whisky at home with my dad and throughout university, but had never visited an event or tasting and knew little about how it was made. I enjoyed the drinking experience and the journey of discovery it offered me as a curious foodie and scientist. During my PhD in molecular cell biology, I dabbled with side-stepping into brewing and distilling but everywhere I looked required a degree in the subject or years of experience, which I did not have. Everything changed when I discovered the Tasmanian whisky industry after quitting my UK career in 2014 to travel Australia with my partner, Chris. I was hooked! I no longer wanted to just drink it, I wanted to make it too.
“Whisky involves many industries - agriculture, engineering, technology, science, food, hospitality, to name a few - and it often captures the essence of a place, the landscape and the people within it. It tells a story. It connects people to memories, to each other and to a global community of whisky enthusiasts who are curious and on a never-ending journey of discovery. That is my perspective and I hope to incorporate some of these aspects into the Cooper King whisky label that we’re currently designing.
“The category is experiencing unprecedented growth and with such a diverse range of producers it’s an incredibly exciting time to be both whisky drinker and maker. When the idea for Cooper King was born there were only three English whiskies on the shelf. After setting up the company in 2016 and after much research, we decided to raise the profile of English whisky and promote the 14 little-known producers at the time by creating the first edition of the English Whisky Map. The fifth edition which comes out on St George’s Day, showcases 49 whisky distilleries who are either selling whisky, maturing casks or due to begin production. It feels good to have established ourselves so early on and to witness the industry flourish.
“I have always been a hard worker with big goals yet struggled throughout university and my early career because of burnouts and lacking the confidence to ask for support. Low self-esteem and a fixed mindset prevented me from reaching my potential. My unconventional route into whisky and building a business from scratch with no prior experience has been a steep climb, but I’ve gained a wealth of knowledge and skills that have made me stronger, more resilient and emotionally intelligent. I’m now able to support other young women in their early careers and help promote a supportive, inclusive industry. I’m proud to lead a predominantly female team at Cooper King because I love motivating others to overcome personal and professional barriers to help reach their dream career goals in whisky. I hope it means more incredible and passionate talent in the industry and a strong, thriving category.”
amy teasdale, brand ambassador, spirit of yorkshire
“I came into the category through the coffee shop. I’m a fully trained barista and I’ve worked behind bars making cocktails, so drinks and flavour have been what I’ve enjoyed the most. I was unaware that there was a whisky distillery in Yorkshire - I remember talking to someone locally who told me and I saw they wanted someone for the coffee shop. I had an interview and instantly fell in love with everything - I wanted to be more involved with every turn.
“I wasn’t sure I was confident enough to do the tours, but I knew I wanted to have a go so was taught how they make the whisky and started going to events, throwing myself at every opportunity. Last year it was made official - I became the brand ambassador for the company and it has gone from strength to strength.
“Whisky was always the spirit I tried to taste the most when I was behind the bar - it always reminded me of my grandad and those comforting and relaxing elements about it trickled through. It’s super exciting for me being a part of the English whisky movement. I like peoples’ surprise when you speak to them about English whisky and their realisation we’re making such good whisky. It’s important to tell people what we’re doing and that we are doing it the right way.
“I love being a woman representing this category. The company is very forward thinking in that respect - a lot of the people they employ are female. It’s brilliant that I can be a face of something that people can look at and realise women can do it too, and for more women to drink whisky too as a result.
“I think English whisky is already doing a fantastic job and will be recognised in the same way as Scotch or Irish whiskey. I also think it is very much at the forefront of challenging the idea of what whisky can be.”
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