There’s a gender imbalance in Australian spirits. But what does this mean for women on the ground?

Following on from a recent conversation with Chanel Melani and Sally Carter, Co-Founders of Birds of Isle rum, Drinks Trade reached out to Catie Fry, Founder and Head Distiller of Australia’s first female owned and operated distilling company, Clovendoe. 

“My journey is that I experienced gender discrimination in the industry,” Catie Fry told Drinks Trade.

“I experienced it from many levels, internal and external, so it ruffled my feathers big time. I lost a lot of confidence early on. Then I had to have more of those experiences to then actually get my sass back and go no.” 

Prior to starting Clovendoe, Catie Fry Founded Capricorn Distilling Co in 2016 alongside then-husband and Head Distiller Warren Brewer. Fry says that this business dynamic may have contributed to her experience of gender bias in that workplace.

“It’s more on a business level of owning a distillery/of co-founding a distillery and still, eight years down the track, not feeling like I’ve ever felt as equal,” said Fry.

“Perhaps if I was a woman that came in and got a job employed as an assistant distiller at a company and that was my job, then there’s rights… I can go to management and say, I feel discriminated against if there’s a man doing this or whatever. But when you start your own company and you are by law equal, you sign your name, you put in your share/your equity, yet because you are female of a joint partnership, I was just very much considered the wife of the distiller.” 

Catie also experienced gender biases in more consumer-facing aspects of her role.

“One example was, I was manning the still that day. We’re on the Bruce Highway and a bunch of blokes – like it was five burly boys – came in to have a rum and gin tasting and check out the distillery. I remember them coming in like, oh, hey mate, we’re here for a tour and a taste, and I was like great, cool, let’s get started. I started talking and within 10 seconds, a guy stopped me and he said no, it says with the distiller… I could feel myself going red and really trying to justify… Then I was like, whoa, stop, what the hell am I having to justify myself for?

“I believe that if that had been my husband at the time saying hey, I’ll show you through, he wouldn’t have stopped me.”

Four years ago, Catie Fry launched Clovendoe, Australia’s first female owned and operated distilling company: “I was the only female in the team of Capricorn, and I suppose that’s what led me to wanting to be just a bit loud and proud about that [Clovendoe’s] female owned/operated,” she said.

Catie believes that, due to her gender, she was taken less seriously when trying to establish her new distillery, which specialises on alcohol-free and mid-strength spirits.

“It was just hard to break into when I just didn’t have the resources and the time and the money and all that. And the support. I definitely didn’t have the same support,” said Fry. 

“When we started that business in 2016, it was very much taken way more seriously, like right, you’ve started a distillery – that’s Warren’s – Warren’s working full time, he’s starting a company. When I did it in 2020, it was like, okay, well, you better do lots of that stuff at night.” 

Drinks Trade asked Catie Fry how far she feels Australia’s spirits industry has progressed in regards to gender diversity during her eight years in the sector. 

“I think we’re getting there. But obviously I’ve looked at the stats of women in manufacturing supply chain logistics and distilling and brewing and all that, it’s still not great; it’s still got a long way to go. But, again, like I say, the stats are still pretty poor when you look at who’s at the helm, who’s in those leading roles.

“I’ve really found it hard to partner with other female-led businesses in supply and logistics and stuff, because that’s what I’m looking for. Let’s champion one another. Let’s make it a thing.”

This year, Catie Fry was one of 12 Sister’s at this year’s Global Sister’s Sister Pitch, an initiative where selected female-led businesses are asked to pitch their products to potential investors. 

“I’m looking for someone to share some of the Clovendoe pie,” said Catie. 

“I’m looking for someone to come into Clovendoe with me so that I can focus back on R&D and what I’m best at, which is, talking about it and creating recipes and the low proof side of things.

“I really want to hone into the low proof and, with that, make the range bigger, so there’s that aspect. Then the Halal aspect [and] Malaysia. I want some investment for it to go on a trade mission to Malaysia and to get all the certifications needed because it ain’t cheap.”

To learn more about Catie Fry and Clovendoe, click here.