Everything seemed to naturally fall in place after that. Chance encounters led to new friendships & concrete projects. I often take the time to thank Martine for being a role model for so many of us trying to break into this field and I will never let her forget how important she. The giants: Rachel, Ann, Angela, Martine and so many more are where they are because of their passion, love & dedication. We, the next generation of whisky women, look forward to doing them proud and continuing the ground work for those that will come after us.
Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival declares May 3, 2014 - International Women in Whisky Day
Spirit of Speyside is proud to introduce the first ever International Women of Whisky Day on May 3, 2014 to recognise the growing number of women working in the
industry and sipping Scotland’s national drink.
It wasn't that long ago that 20% of whisky drinkers were women, the number has doubled with numbers reaching up to 40% in some countries. With that comes a growing number of women taking on key
roles in the industry, from production managers to brand ambassadors.
Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival chairman James Campbell hopes
that whisky drinkers will mark the day no matter where they are in the world and adds: “It seems fitting that Speyside should be the focus for the very
first International Women in Whisky Day, since it is home to Cardhu which was
founded by Helen Cumming in 1824. To this day it is still the only malt whisky
distillery pioneered by a woman.”
The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival takes place in Scotland’s
most prolific whisky producing region from May 1 to 5, and will host a day-long
programme on Saturday May 3. It takes place at The Aberlour Hotel in
Aberlour and will be complemented by other events led by women during the five
day Festival.
IWOWD kicks off with Introduction to the Sensipedia of Whisky
with Johanne McInnis, a Canadian whisky writer and judge known as Whisky
Lassie. She will be teaching people how each of the five senses can be used to appreciate
and enjoy Scotch.
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Another Canadian – Alwynne Gwilt – will be leading a whisky and chocolate
pairing session. Alwynne, also known as Miss Whisky and now based in London, is the current Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival International Ambassador of
the Year in recognition of her efforts to educate people about Scotch whisky.
Renowned whisky writer Annabel Meikle will be shedding light on
tasting notes by exploring the language of whisky, explaining where the aromas
come from. Participants will then be tasked with creating their own tasting
note after a blind taste test. In addition to writing about whisky, Annabel has
her own consultancy, The Whisky Belle.
Master blender Angela D’Orazio from Mackmyra Distillery in
Sweden will be introducing revellers to the unique whisky expression at her
event. She will be sharing the story behind the distillery, her rise as one of the whisky women of her generation and a few fantastic drams.
Ann Miller is international brand ambassador for Chivas Brothers
and is also one of the directors of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. She
will be contributing to the programme by running a guided walk – the James Fleming
Trail – looking at the story of the man who founded Aberlour Distillery, and a
tasting which deconstructs Aberlour’s double cask maturation. She says, “International Women of Whisky Day is a fantastic way
to recognise the contribution made to the industry by women not just in
Scotland but all over the world.
"It will also help to underline the opportunities that exist to
develop a career in the whisky industry, which is no longer the once
male-dominated place that it used to be. It is essential that we encourage new
blood – whether female or male – into the Scotch whisky industry to ensure it
continues to go from strength to strength."
“The programme taking place at Aberlour is one of the most
anticipated events of the Festival – each of the women participating is an
authority of whisky in her own right and although these events are hosted by
women, they are not just for women, but for everyone.”
“The inspiration for this day came in
part from the enormous influence of whisky writer and expert Martine Nouet, who
has been a regular participant of the Festival for over a decade. She has led a
range of not to be missed events over many years and this year Martine will
host a number of events at Glen Rothes Distillery.”
A Twitter hashtag has been set up for
International Women in Whisky Day - #IWOWD. There are events led by women
taking place throughout the Festival, including distillery tours and whisky
tutoring.
The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival,
which is now in its 15th year, takes place at venues across the
region and boasts a programme of over 30 events. A signature event for
Homecoming 2014, it will start Whisky Month – a four week national celebration
of Scotland’s world class food and drink.
It will also launch a brand new event this year – The Spirit of
Speyside Sessions – which aims to put to spotlight on the area’s traditional
music heritage with concerts and ceilidhs being staged in venues closely linked
to the whisky industry.
Tickets for all events in the 2014 Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival
programme, including the roving judging sessions, can be bought via the website
– www.spiritofspeyside.com
The Festival is also active on social media – facebook.com/WhiskyFestival
and @spirit_speyside on Twitter.
It is with the greatest anticipation that I look forward to the road and where it will lead me. All I know is... for now, it's looking really great and the company I keep is pretty awesome too.
Lassie
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