Celebrating Spirited Women: Brands to back this International Women's Day & Mother's Day

March 8th marks International Women’s Day, which means we are ready to get stuck in and shine a spotlight on spirited women. We’re here to celebrate the talent, skills and inspiring progression of women in the drinks industry.

But don’t think we’re just hopping on the next trend just for the day…yes, we’re embracing the opportunity to highlight the booze brands to back for International Women’s Day and Mother’s Day this year, but we’re also here to endorse the spirits you should have on your radar (and in your drinks cabinet…) all year round!

The 2024 campaign theme for International Women’s Day is ‘Inspire Inclusion’, by encouraging others to value that sense of belonging, relevance and a woman’s empowerment. IWD celebrates the journey towards a world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.

And this message stands true when it comes to spirits, ‘there’s an overwhelmingly positive story to tell when it comes to inclusion and today, talented women are at the helm of some of the biggest names in distilling…more and more it’s about skills, not ‘firsts’. It’s worth celebrating this success and mark the progress made at every level’.

Here are a few inspiring women-backed spirit brands that we’ve had our eye on this past year…

Annabel Thomas, Founder and CEO of Nc’nean Organic Whisky

Nc’nean was conceived to change the way the world thinks about whisky in Scotland. The mission Annabel Thomas stands by, is to create a whisky that can ‘exist in harmony with the planet we call home’. And in 2020, the first bottle of Nc’nean Single Malt Organic Whisky was born.

I hopped over to Nc’nean’s website where the team of ‘quiet rebels’ hails Thomas as their very own Neachneohain - an ancient Gaelic goddess, Queen of Spirits and a fierce protector of nature. Her vision and approach to sustainability has created waves across the distillery, pushing Thomas to the forefront of a movement for a more environmentally conscious and inclusive industry, ultimately landing Nc’nean with B-Corp status.

Nc’nean are a predominantly female team, so you can image the sorts of questions that get piled on women who drink whisky… ‘The perception that whisky is a man’s drink still very much exists today - so on International women’s Day’, Nc’nean sees the celebration as an opportunity to ask themselves what can they do to change that. So, if you’re reading this and still wondering, ‘do women drink whisky?’ - maybe go and have a read of Sasha Holt’s blog.

Serving Suggestion: Nc’nean Organic Scotch Whisky, Soda Water, and a Thyme Sprig.

Ellie Web, founder of Caleño Drinks

‘Sometimes in life, when you can’t find what you need, it’s time to make it yourself’, and that is the story of Caleño - born out of personal frustration, Ellie Webb decided it was time to bring some joy to not drinking.

Webb is a former drinks industry veteran and founded Caleño Drinks in 2018, naming it after the wonderful people of Cali (Los Caleños). Caleño is a range of distilled non-alcoholic spirits inspired by the sun-drenched spirit of Colombia, but there’s no relying on a single distillery…

Webb sources distillates, essences and extracts from multiple places in the UK before blending and bottling them together. From where Webb stands as a female business owner it’s important that her drinks range reflects her own values, and encourages inclusion. Caleño aims to be for anyone, anytime, anywhere.

‘Although figures have started to climb, women are still vastly underrepresented in senior/board level positions’, which is one of the driving forces behind Webb’s need to help ‘facilitate and encourage more women by giving them to tools they need to succeed’.

Serving Suggestion: Caleño Light & Zesty with Tonic, and a Lemon Peel.

Stephanie Jordan, Co-Founder of Avallen Calvados

Avallen has been a much-needed breath of fresh air for Calvados, with industry veteran, Stephanie Jordan, shining a spotlight on the ‘delicious moment where flavour and sustainability converge’. Avallen Calvados is a planet-positive spirit made from just three things: apples, water, and time, and their ambition is to become the world’s most sustainable spirit from ‘blossom to bottle’.

But it’s this statement right here that undeniably reflects the IWD 2024 theme: ‘We share the lessons we learn along the way with other producers and businesses that want to make great products’.

Knowledge sharing is an important core value for Avallen, and their portfolio speaks for themselves. As well as being a certified B-Corp brand, Avallen uses business as a force for good, by providing education and training in sustainable practices and hosting a series of webinars called, ‘Positively Charged’; bringing together innovators of the drinks industry to share their expertise.

Jordan is constantly ‘buzzing’ internationally to help build planet positive spirit brands, while ensuring that the ‘soul of Avallen is centred on uplifting and inspiring others to be and do better’.

Serving Suggestion: Avallen Calvados, with Tonic or Ginger Ale.

Karen Hoskin, Founder of Montanya Distillers with New Owners Megan Campbell (Left) and Renee Newton (Right)

Bottle by bottle and person by person, Montanya Distillers are changing paradigms. Female owned and female founded, it was Hoskin’s mission to change the way people think about rum, while standing by her values of gender diversity, environmental sustainability and giving back to the community. So there’s no guessing that Montanya Distillers are B-Corp certified too!

From the start, the brand has stayed committed to being a transparent business with impact. The team continue to work to be a force for good in their community, standing behind a company they can feel proud of creating. Not only by using high-quality, traceable ingredients but by celebrating their core values and being committed to creating safe workplaces and opportunity for women.

Serving Suggestion: Savour Montanya Exclusiva Rum in a Rum Old Fashioned or a Rum Sour.

Thea Cumming, Founder & CEO of Dangerous Don Mezcal

Dangerous Don are a proudly female founded, and female run business, focusing their mission to build a new mezcal movement that encourages their growing community to sip slow, and give back.

Powered by the communities in Oaxaca, Dangerous Don continuously work towards ways of sustaining their local environment by advocating traditional methods that upholds the artisanal production processes of the communities.

Cumming champions other small producers through London Mezcal Week, becoming known as one of the category’s true ambassadors. Since the launch of Dangerous Don Mezcal, Thea has gone onto pioneer flavour infused variants, with our personal fave being the zesty, citrus Madarin infused Mezcal.

Serving Suggestion: Use Dangerous Don Mandarina Mezcal in a Spicy Mezcal Margarita.

Although these are only a few selected brands, backed by beautifully spirited women - there are dozens more on Spirits Kiosk for you to look through. Head to our Women in Spirits page to see our featured list for March, or browse around and you’ll find more information in the descriptions on each product page!