Whisky Auctioneer has announced its first auction dedicated to women in whisky, in celebration of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month.
The auction will honour the contributions women have made to whisky, and their achievements in the sector. It is held in collaboration with the OurWhisky Foundation, an organisation that supports and empowers women in whisky.
The whiskies selected for auction have been created and inspired by women in the whisky industry. Named the Demeter Collection for the Greek goddess of grain, each bottle included highlights stories of the women behind it.
Becky Paskin, founder of the OurWhisky Foundation, shared: “Despite her important role within Greek mythology, Demeter remains one of the lesser-known of the Olympians, her story largely untold in popular culture. Yet her heroic tale of overcoming obstacles to support her daughter, all while sharing her knowledge and wisdom with others, embodies many similar values as the OurWhisky Foundation.
“Just like Demeter’s sidelining in pop culture, women’s contributions to whisky have been vastly under-recognised. Through the Demeter Collection we want to honour the grain goddess and tell the untold stories of women in whisky, while raising much-needed funds to enable the OurWhisky Foundation to support, recognise and empower future generations of women in the industry.”
The funds raised by the auctions will be donated to the OurWhisky Foundation to support its projects, which include a mentoring programme, stock image library the Modern Face of Whisky, and work with brands and other stakeholders.
The announcement follows the results of the OurWhisky Foundation global survey, in which women working in the whisky industry reported widespread sexism and bias.
Joe Wilson, head curator and spirits specialist at Whisky Auctioneer, commented: “Historically, our industry has lacked diversity, and that’s something we’re determined to change. To that end, we have been delighted to witness the incredible achievements of the OurWhisky Foundation and are thrilled to host this auction and shine a spotlight on the stories of women within our industry.
“The Demeter Collection is an exciting group of one-of-a-kind and collectible bottlings from very diverse distilleries. Our hope is that this auction will not only catch the attention of enthusiasts and collectors worldwide to raise important funds for the OurWhisky Foundation, but also inspire current and future generations of women in whisky.”
The auction will be hosted online from 29 March to 8 April 2024. The collection totals 18 lots, including expressions from House of Hazelwood, Loch Lomond and Cooper King Distillery. The collection also features a 44-year-old Dalmore bottling commemorating Margaret Nicol’s 50th anniversary and an Ardbeg 20 Years Old by Gillian Macdonald to celebrate her 20th year in the industry.
For the full list of lots, and to register for the auction, visit the Whisky Auctioneer website.
The OurWhisky Foundation is also receiving support from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society this International Women's Day. The whisky club and independent bottler has released a collection of limited-edition single cask whiskies selected by an all-women tasting panel, exclusively available to society members, with 5 per cent of profits from the bottles' sales to be donated to the foundation.
