Women of the Vine & Spirits Founder Honored With DISCUS Industry Award

Deborah Brenner, Founder & CEO of Women of the Vine & Spirits (WOTVS), has been awarded the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) Distinguished Service Award, recognizing her decade-long advocacy for women in the beverage alcohol industry.

The prestigious honor was presented at the 2025 DISCUS Annual Conference last week, celebrating Brenner’s contributions to industry promotion, advocacy, and community service through her pioneering organization.

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Women of the Vine & Spirits – A Decade of Industry Impact

Since launching WOTVS in 2015, Brenner has built a powerful global network dedicated to empowering women across all three tiers of the beverage alcohol industry. The organization’s 10th anniversary marks significant growth, now representing more than 10,000 members worldwide and 165 corporate members.

WOTVS has become a catalyst for industry-wide change, helping companies establish women’s initiatives, create succession plans, and develop future female leaders in beverage alcohol.

“I am deeply humbled and honored to receive the DISCUS Distinguished Service Award on behalf of Women of the Vine & Spirits,” said Brenner. “This recognition is a testament to the collective work of the WOTVS team and the steadfast support of our Corporate Members for the past 10 years. Now, more than ever our mission to empower and advance women has never been stronger.”

Under Brenner’s leadership, WOTVS has expanded beyond networking to create lasting institutional change. In 2017, she established the WOTVS Foundation, which has awarded more than $959,000 in scholarships to 373 women across 80 countries.

Creating Safer Workplaces

One of Brenner’s most impactful initiatives is 86 Harassment, a program dedicated to promoting safer workplace environments in the beverage alcohol, and hospitality industries. The initiative provides industry-specific training, resources, and a dedicated 24/7 crisis hotline.

Chris Swonger, CEO of DISCUS, praised the collaboration between the organizations: “DISCUS has had the great pleasure to collaborate and partner with Deborah Brenner and Women of the Vine & Spirits on many important projects, including educational programs, conferences, and as an industry sponsor of 86 Harassment. The work and service accomplished by Deborah and WOTVS is truly making a difference for the entire hospitality industry.”

The DISCUS Distinguished Service Award is nominated by DISCUS membership and voted on by its Board of Directors. Recipients must demonstrate at least 10 years of documented accomplishments in service to the industry.

As WOTVS celebrates this milestone recognition, Brenner emphasized the work that lies ahead: “We know our work needs to continue and together, we can make a stronger beverage alcohol industry.”