There has never been a more vocal period of inclusiveness in whiskey. More and more we see brands strive to be representative of all genders and races in their marketing. The changes shouldn’t be surprising. Globally the percentage of female whiskey drinkers varies between 30 to 40%, so the industry would be foolish not to embrace diversity. Unfortunately recent research shows that the reality is nuanced, and that women still do not always feel welcome in the whiskey space.
One big part of what I enjoy about working within the whiskey industry is the scope for discussion of everything beyond just the drink; the galaxy of discussions, jobs and creatives that orbit whiskey; the labels and glass, the boxes, the way that companies present the whiskey to the world and what influence that has on how the product is perceived, and I think it is just as important to have representation through all these sectors too. So I got in contact with three female led creatives who, despite not being directly responsible for the creation of the spirit, are key to how we as consumers perceive our favorite spirit.
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Whiskey Reviews: Swedish Whisky Girl
Her social media feed is subtly feminine in the way of natural materials and the odd flower, and of course Moa herself, whose confidence and warmth welcomes all to engage with her work. I remember once reading a quote from journalist and founder of OurWhisky Foundation, Becky Paskin who said that when she got on stage to do a whiskey tasting that some people (usually men) would leave.
Rather than being put off by the attitudes of those around her Moa used the interactions to grow her platforms. “The experiences provided a helpful insight to how consumers approach other whisky drinkers who may not look like them, and this has shaped how I create and present my content to try and make it as inclusive and friendly as possible.
Ultimately, while the industry is pushing itself forward in Moa’s experience it is the consumers who are still living in the past. “From the very start I found people within the whisky industry itself to be very supportive and open to working against this dated mindset. I would say that this old fashioned view seems to primarily exist amongst those who buy and consume the whisky.”
Moa went on to explain how the distinction between the industry and scotch consumers remains significant. “Slowly but surely I’ve seen more and more representation of different whisky drinkers in the media, which better reflects reality. Unfortunately, judging by the treatment both myself and my friends face on a weekly basis, we still have a long way to go. But I am not going anywhere and I feel so grateful to have a community that is willing to put in the work to improve the whisky world for the better.”
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The Rise Of Video: Prickly Peach Films
“It can be intimidating to step outside of tradition, especially when you’re suggesting ideas to customers. But our ethos at Prickly Peach is about showing both sides of everything—the soft and the sharp—and that balance is even more important with something like whisky where shoots can easily fall into the trap of appearing hyper masculine,” explained Burnham, Co-founder of Prickly Peach Films.
Prickly Peach Films is a video production company based in Cheshire UK created in 2018 by Lauren Burnham and Emily Kirkham. Unlike Moa, the Prickly Peach team are (almost) never physically part of the content they create, but their ethos is still a big part of the work and the eventual message that it sends.
The duo creates warm and engaging content for a range of different industries, from real estate to occupational health, but what I was interested in was their experiences filming premium scotch. I sat down to speak with them about working with scotch and their thoughts on the dominating masculinity within the space.
Their work definitely has a different aura compared to more standard scotch videography. Kirkham explained what they do differently; “We use lighting to both enhance and soften a scene, we are also thinking about materials and colors; it can be difficult to make a brown drink look anything but masculine, but even things like using our own hands rather than a male one alters the feel of a scene.”
Finally, I asked them if they found much discrimination as female creatives. “We are fortunate to get a lot of recommendations, which means often potential clients have seen our work and want to work with us because of that. That kind of belief makes us confident that we are doing the right thing in the right way, but I do also think that a client base like that makes us very fortunate.”
Promoting Whiskey Differently: SPEY
“Since I started Spey, the whisky landscape has undergone remarkable evolution including overturning outdated stereotypes and perceptions,” begins Jennifer Robertson, Founding Partner of SPEY, a Speyside based advertising agency that prides itself on doing things a little differently.
Established in 2017 by Jennifer Robertson, SPEY has become a global voice for brands both big and small. Out of their rural office in Speyside Scotland (a stone’s throw from some of the biggest names in scotch) the diverse team has shown that you do not need a city center HQ to deliver award winning results. With a plethora of awards under their belt including Whisky Magazine Icons Of Whisky Award for Best Global PR Agency in 2022 and 2023 and recently awarded B Corp status, they are a team that knows what is important and how to give brands visibility on the global stage.
SPEY doesn’t just represent scotch whisky but they give voices to a range of distilleries. From relative newcomers Nc’nean, who they have just helped launch in the US market to the likes of long established and award winning single malt power houses Glenfiddich and GlenDronach.
I contacted them directly to ask about their experiences, and if it is companies that are changing their narrative or if it is SPEY guiding brands toward more inclusive styles and language.
“In my job words matter, but so do pictures,” explains Robertson. “My work has involved helping some brands catch up with what is the huge opportunity of a more diverse audience, whilst others have been at the forefront of that change, leading the charge. Whether that’s in brand strategy documents, ensuring language around whisky is not gendered, or important projects like my work with OurWhisky Foundation who recently released an image library that is free to all media and content creators. It features positive portrayals of people of all genders, races and ages enjoying whisky in a variety of serves.
“Understanding the value of broad appeal over narrow targeting isn’t just good business sense, it’s how we build a more equitable society and as Scotland’s flagship industry whisky does and should play its part. After all, whisky is for everyone.”
Not Just For Women’s History Month
One big takeaway from Moa’s comments and one that is echoed by research done by the OurWhisky Foundation is that there is still work to be done. It is not enough to shine a light on women in Women’s History Month (March) once a year and then think that everything is fine.
You may be fed up hearing about Beyonce’s new whiskey, but it is an incredible moment for the world image of a drink that has historically been focused on white men. That’s because even with more women leading distilleries, more photos and videos and marketing that is being directed at women, many women still feel excluded from whiskey. Promotion by stars like Beyonce, who transcend industries is so valuable for the industry as a whole.
Ultimately there is room for everyone in the world of whiskey and whiskey too. If they were there wouldn’t be over 160 different malt and grain distilleries in Scotland alone with hundreds more in America and thousands of variations of whiskey and whiskey available across the world.
Yes women make up 30 to 40% of whiskey drinkers, but they’re more than 50% of the population so there is still work to do. The women I spoke to and the articles I read showed me that the industry is the best it has been, but that there is still a way to go, and I hope that by continuing to give female creatives a space in the spotlight outside of March, I can be part of the long term solution.
This article is adapted from one originally written by me for Forbes.com
