Keeping a Pulse on the Women in Whisk(e)y Boom
Sep. 11, 2015
You may have noticed that recently, several credible sources have become infatuated with the idea that women have at long last discovered the pleasures of whisk(e)y. To some extent, the media hoopla is timely enough—according to Fred Minnick, author of the book Whiskey Women, female consumers made up just 15% of whiskey drinkers in 1990. Today, women make up 37%.
This excitement from sources like NPR and Forbes provides the industry with a glimpse into how the overwhelming growth of the whiskey category is increasing the demand for craft bourbons like Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare, while shrinking the sales of traditionally more popular spirits among women, like vodka.
"I think the media should give women more credit," said Joanna Hay, Illinois Brand Representative for Death’s Door Spirits. "Women have long distilled, marketed and owned spirits companies. These strong women built many iconic brands. Due to the whiskey and bourbon category growing in popularity, [whiskey-drinking women] are just being put under the spotlight."
Hay has a point; with the growth in the whiskey category comes the mathematical equation that more and more women will be consuming Scotches, bourbons and ryes, too. But the categorical growth is enticing and should be noted by retail establishments, bars and restaurants alike.
At Forbes’ suggestion that the surge in "Mad Men"-era cocktails and the inclusion of celebrities like Christina Hendricks and Mila Kunis have prompted more women to transition from vodka- to whiskey-sipping, Minnick confidently disagrees.
"The growth in female consumption is purely organic. Women were in whiskey at the very start and they are leading it today."
In Minnick’s book released late last year, he recounts the history of women’s necessary influence on whiskey production, distribution and sale in the United States. Eventually, factors like prostitution, The Temperance Movement and several other events prompted whiskey-makers to pledge against marketing whiskey to women. However, today, women are well-represented on the executive teams of prominent suppliers including Wirtz Beverage Illinois partners Diageo, Brown Forman and William Grant & Sons, respectively.
Minnick prescribes that a new generation of whiskey imbibers are quickly becoming a facet of the industry because of taste genetics.
"Once women get past the heat they find these incredible floral characteristics; they also get caramel, vanilla, hints of smoke and all these complexities that you will never find in vodka," he said.
Minnick, who has written for Whisky Magazine for decades, hypothesizes that this may be in part why women are tapped at a considerable rate for high-ranking positions in the whiskey industry that require an astute-level of know-how and intuition.
Though there are several theories about how the popularity of whiskey amongst women has developed, the effects are undisputed: sales of vodka, traditionally popular among female consumers, have flattened in the past two years after a decade of dominance, according to DISCUS.
Yet the gender bias that women enjoy fruity vodka cocktails that mask the taste of liquor remains. The term "girl drinks" was explained by Slate columnist Troy Patterson as categorized for "persons eager to know the fun of catching a buzz while staying ignorant of the bliss of tasting liquor."
Hay, who reports she has been a fan of whiskey since her 21st birthday, has long encountered surprise for her taste.
"Most bartenders would do a double take because they couldn’t wrap their heads around why a young girl would order a Manhattan," Hay said about her experiences. "I think because I grew up in the restaurant business, my co-workers who were much older introduced me to whiskey, and that’s when I developed a love for the spirit."
Since then, Hay herself has witnessed her female friends making the switch from vodka to whiskey.
"At the end of the day, it’s all about the taste profile and a consumer’s preference. To each their own…woman or man."
Contact your Wirtz Beverage Sales Consultant to grow your whiskey knowledge and gain the trust of your new-found whiskey customers—men and women alike.