Spirited Women: Makers, Shakers, and Trailblazers in the World of Cocktails

Many people perceive alcohol and spirits to be a male-dominated industry, but Katz and McGiff, coauthors of Cocktails in Color, argue that women have played a considerable role in this business for centuries. The first distilling technology (~100 CE) and the modern bar are both believed to have been invented by women. Katz and McGiff report that in 2022, eight percent of distilleries were women-owned, indicating that women are making their mark across the industry. The authors celebrate 55 women who have been leaders in the spirits world and highlight their achievements in three categories: makers (chemists and master brewers), shakers (bartenders, bar owners, and educators), and trailblazers (brand founders, authors, and historians). Each woman’s story is followed by a cocktail highlighting the spirit she makes or loves to drink: rum for the great-great-granddaughter of the U.S.’s first Black master distiller, bourbon for the award-winning mixologist, and Irish whiskey for the woman who single-handedly saved the Irish practice of whiskey-bonding.