Littlemill distillery has unveiled the second whisky in its Vanguards Collection, paying homage to former distillery manager Jane MacGregor. But who was she, and why is her story now being told?

Regarded as the ‘first lady of Scotch’, Bessie Williamson was so much more than one of Scotland’s first female distillery managers. From safeguarding Laphroaig during the war to exhibiting philanthropic kindness and even saving her warehouseman’s life, Williamson left an indelible mark on both whisky and the world.

From a career in quality engineering to running what could be the world’s first hydrogen-powered distillery, Arbikie manager and master distiller Kirsty Black wants women to know they’re not alone in whisky.

Sarah Burgess has been making whisky for some of the biggest names in Scotland and England for two decades. Now, she’s ready to give back. She tells Becky Paskin why we need to shine a light on others, and how creating a unique whisky for the Demeter Collection is a career highlight.

She may be the UK’s youngest distillery manager but the Cotswolds’ Alice Pearson is confidently forging her own path, defying stereotypes of what it means to be a woman in whisky and proving age is nothing but a number.