The OurWhisky Foundation is celebrating the incredible and talented women in the whisky industry through the inaugural Demeter Collection – an auction of 18 incredible whiskies inspired and created by female whisky makers, which ends today.
The collection comprises rare whiskies, many of which are ‘one of one’ creations and OurWhisky Foundation Founder, Becky Paskin said the idea is to raise awareness of women in whisky and also raise much-needed funds for the foundation.
“There is a mistaken belief among many that female whisky makers are rare, when in fact the opposite is true,” she said.
“The reality is that women in the industry are rarely highlighted, and stories of their achievement remain untold.”
Paskin said she is routinely told the absence of women hosting masterclasses, featuring in panel discussions or being part of judging panels is because “there aren’t enough women working in whisky who are good enough”.
She added: “I know it’s infuriatingly false, and so do the thousands of women who make and sell whisky for a living. But how do we raise awareness of the incredible talent, passion and experience of female whisky makers in an authentic way?”
The Foundation has done it through the Demeter Collection in partnership with WhiskyAuctioneer.com. The collection contains some incredible whiskies, some highlights include:
- Aberfeldy 40 Year Old – the Highland distillery’s oldest whiskey release to-date, signed by Master Blender Stephanie Macleod for the Demeter Collection
- Ardbeg Twenty – Master Blender Gillian Macdonald’s homage to Uigedail and celebration of her 20 years as a whisky maker
- The GlenDronach 30 Year Old Hand Filled – A 30-year-old expression hand-selected and signed by Master Blender Dr Rachel Barrie
- House of Hazelwood: The Long View 31 Year Old – A one-of-one blend that celebrates the three women at the heart of House of Hazelwood – Janet Sheed Roberts, Eilidh Muir and Kirsten Grant-Meikle.
- Loch Lomond Sonata – A trio of 30-year-old single cask malts selected by Blender Ashley Smith that is a study of peat
- The Dalmore 44 Year Old – A marriage of three 1979 port, red wine and Sherry casks by Margaret Nicol to celebrate her 50 years in the industry.
This inaugural Demeter Collection auction will take place on WhiskyAuctioneer from 29 March to 8 April 2024, to coincide with International Women’s Day and Women’s History month, as well as OurWhisky Foundation’s second anniversary. An auction of carefully curated whiskies will take place every two years with all proceeds donated to the OurWhiskyFoundation.