Australia’s spirits sector is currently more inclusive and diverse than at any other point in its history. Despite this, a Deloitte Access Economics study commissioned by Spirits & Cocktail Australia in 2021 revealed that only 10% of all distilling roles in Australia are filled by women. Furthermore, recent allegations about toxic workplace culture in two of Sydney’s leading venue groups has shone a spotlight on the one major spirits industry professional space that has even gender distribution.
Drinks Trade recently caught up with Chanel Melani and Sally Carter, Co-Founders of Birds of Isle rum, to gain a better understanding of what it means to be a female professional in the distilled spirits arena.
“I think our experience personally has been great,” said Melani.
“We’ve been really welcomed and supported in the distilling community, but I do feel like that’s a consistent message or vibe that you will hear from every distiller. I think we’re all trying to help each other to become better together, which is amazing, but yeah, at the end of the day there is still a lot more men in rum… I definitely think that’s something we hope to change.”
Birds of Isle recently launched their first product to market, an aged Venezuelan rum finished in Australian Muscat casks and infused with flame-torched native Bunya nuts. It is also now over half way through the three-year ageing process of its first rum distilled in house.
According to Melani, Birds of Isle “really want[s] to try and turn the rum category upside down. I guess we want to really try and open up the door to women and to all genders and really try and show how rum can, you know, hold its place amongst the best whiskies and mezcals and cognacs. We really want to help Australia become one of the world’s greatest rum producing countries.”
Traditionally, Australia’s rum sector has a reputation for being somewhat more blokeish than other drinks. Melani said this has greatly altered how rum is perceived in Australia when compared with other major rum markets such as the US.
“In Australia, we have an added cultural nuance where we do have quite a negative perception of rum, whereas I guess that kind of stigma of rum making you violent, that doesn’t exist in any other country around the world,” she said.
Amanda Lampe, Director of Corporate Relations at Diageo Australia and Chair of Bundaberg Distilling Company, recently told Drinks Trade that Bundaberg is adopting a role-model position in fostering equality in the category: “Bundaberg is an iconic Australian brand and we think that we have a leadership role to play in our industry, and so we will be using our brand to do that,” she said.
Amanda is one of many female role models actively involved in advocating for a healthier distilling industry. Other notable figures include President of the Australian Distillers Association Holly Klintworth, Vice President/director of Public Affairs at Brown-Forman Australia Kylie McPherson, and Director of Spirits & Cocktails Australia Nicole Lestal advocated on behalf of the entire spirits sector, all of whom represented Australia’s spirits sector at the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Resources inquiry in June.
At the hearing, Holly Klintworth explained how “Australian spirits celebrate flavour and unique native ingredients that are not found anywhere else in the world. This provides Australia with a point of difference from other spirits-producing nations.
“That’s why our industry needs coordinated, targeted support to both succeed at home and take distinctive Australian spirits to the world.”
Kylie McPherson added, “the current conditions and the uncertainty borne of Australia’s excise regime – which is the third highest spirits tax in the world – are inhibitors for global companies like ours making such an investment in this market.”
Finally, Nicole Lestal told the Committee, “our global spirits industry experience tells us that when governments act decisively and across multiple fronts to provide coordinated support, it incentivises investment to achieve scale and unlock further opportunities for economic value-add and innovation.”
Last March, Women of Australian Distilling launched its first Advisory Board with the aim of promoting and supporting women and gender diverse people within the Australian Craft Distilling industry while collaborating with the industry’s peak associations and organisations.
“Women are often reluctant to talk up their accomplishments because they are often dismissed when they do,” said Kathleen Davies, Founder of Women of Australian Distilling, at the time.
“Women of Australian Distilling aims to help shine a light on women’s accomplishments, guide and encourage women in the industry to follow their passions within their chosen career.”
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