Continuing our coverage of the 2009 ADI Conference on brandy, we conducted interviews with some of the female distillers in attendance for their take on the industry and their own roles within it.
1. I know that you became interested in distilling through your love of cocktails. How did you become interested in cocktails, and what was the spark in mixing at home that encouraged you to start distilling?
My interest in cocktails started sometime after college, when I first ventured beyond the shots and beer that were popular among my friends. It started slowly at first, but I kept exploring categories of spirits and new (to me) brands. Often, the fun was in figuring out how to drink something and enjoy it, and also how it was popularly consumed - it became like a game to find something new and fun to try. Granted, sometimes the drinks weren’t exactly classics back then, but I was seeking out new things and training my palate. Luckily, Derek has a similar interest - we’ve always been the type of folks to go to the liquor store and look for what’s new, or what we haven’t had before.
Derek studied chemical engineering in undergrad, so he understood the distilling process very well. He is an entrepreneur at heart, and stumbled onto the idea of starting a small distillery several years ago while running a small consulting firm. The idea stayed with him, and he started working on a business plan. As he went along, and worked toward launching the distillery, I got sucked in. I had been what I call “corporate America girl” before then. His passion for it, and the ability to combine our work with our outside interests, was very appealing (and contagious).
2. What has the experience of starting a distillery been like? Are you involved in all aspects of production? What would you say have been the best and worst experiences you’ve had in starting North Shore?
Starting the distillery has been a fantastic, and challenging experience. Life-changing, really. We’ve learned so much, and done so much, in a relatively short period of time…
I am sometimes involved in the various aspects of production, as a helper. Derek is in charge of production, so he lets me know when he needs help, and I have done all jobs in the warehouse at one point or another. However, on a day-to-day basis I am focused more on marketing, sales, PR, and managing our distributor partners.
Best Experiences (a few of them, in no particular order)
- Working with my husband, and getting to know him in a way that I might not have if we hadn’t worked together (and learning a lot more about myself in the process)
- Meeting so many great people and making friends that I might never have met if I hadn’t gotten into this business
- Learning so much about the liquor industry, manufacturing, distribution, cocktails, and the world in general - how things actually work (both good and bad)
Worst Experiences
- Having my work invade literally every aspect of my life, and stay there, for many years now
- Being yelled at and witnessing some of the outrageous behavior that comes with dealing with the general public (and sometimes dealing with people in the restaurant business)
There are more, of course, and plenty of things in between the best and worst. It’s definitely been an interesting journey!
3. From what I saw at the conference, distillers as a whole seem to be very supportive of each other in the practice of their craft. What was the learning curve like getting things off the ground? Have you learned from other distillers along the way?
What you saw is very much what the industry is like, for the most part. People are by and large supportive and helpful, and we all recognize that we must work together to promote our industry and share information if we want to get anywhere collectively. The learning curve is steep in many respects - on the production side, you must figure out how your equipment works, how to get consistent results, etc., where to get quality supplies/ingredients, as well as how to get bottles, labels, boxes, etc. and meet all the government rules for those. On the marketing side, you have to learn the maze of regulations for sales/distribution, as well as how to work with distributors (assuming that’s the route you’re going - some states allow self-distribution and/or direct sales to consumers), along with figuring out how to build your brand and market your products.
We’ve definitely learned from other distillers along the way, and have made some great friends too. We try to offer assistance to others as well.
4. What are the biggest challenges in being a craft distiller? Do you find there are additional challenges for women in the industry?
One of the biggest challenges is trying to make headway in the market when competing with the huge spirits companies that have gigantic budgets and staffs. Especially in tough economic times, it’s really hard for a bar to turn down the deals they’re being offered by the big companies and potentially pay more for spirits from a little guy like us. The big companies and distributors throw around lots of free goods, as well as other incentives, to ensure their places on the back bar. Luckily, we have found people who share our sensibilities and understand what we’re all about, so they work with us and we focus on them.
I have worked in male-dominated industries for many years, so I am sort of used to being underestimated - that’s not always bad if you know how to use it. There are definitely complexities in being a woman in leadership in this industry, though. It is extremely common at big liquor conferences and liquor-related events for the only women (or the majority of them, anyway) to be the ones in the skimpy outfits. And several liquor companies have the reputation for hiring women for promotional events (and even for sales jobs) based on looks and age. It’s just something you work around, but it’s been an interesting to observe.
5. How and why did you get started blogging, and how does that play into your day-to-day work at North Shore?
I started blogging in 2007, as a way to continue my exploration of cocktails and the Chicago cocktail scene. I love to write (when I have time), so it’s been fun to write about my cocktail adventures through the blog. I have tried to maintain a separation between the blog and the distillery - I don’t often talk about anything related to the distillery on the blog. I’m not entirely sure why I felt so strongly about that, but it’s a separation I’ve maintained.
6. Which North Shore product has the most significance for you, as far as your evolution as a distiller?
This is a hard one to answer. Each product has been a step in our evolution, and has a story behind how we make it and why. We are always working on something, and sometimes several things, as a way to continue our learning and exploration. If I had to pick one, I think the absinthe has been the most complex spirit we have made thus far, because of the complexity and nuance of flavor we wanted to achieve. There are so many herbs involved, in meaningful quantities, and getting the balance just right was a real challenge. We’d been working on it for quite awhile (since we started the distillery), so it was exciting to release it and share it with others when we finally did last year.
7. What can we expect to see from North Shore in the future? Any new products in the works?
We just released our single-batch limited release for the year, Mole Poblano. Each year, we try to do something completely original, and we only make one batch - this year’s Mole Poblano was 509 bottles total, our largest limited release to date. For a permanent product addition, we are working on whiskey now, and hope to have spirits in barrels by the end of the year. We’re still in the experimental phase there.
8. What’s your favorite cocktail?
Another hard one to answer. I have several go-to cocktails, including the dry Martini I have virtually every Friday night when I get home (made with our Distiller’s Gin No. 6, and usually with Vya vermouth or Noilly Prat if I have it on hand, with a dash of orange bitters), and the Manhattan I often have on Sunday evenings before dinner (lately with Templeton Rye and Carpano Antica). I drink our Sirène Absinthe Verte (3:1 water to absinthe, no sugar) fairly often, as well. However, I am often trying new things, or working on new recipes for events or our website, or whatever. I end up having cocktails on rotation, while I have the syrup, etc. for them. Lately it’s been a Strawberry-Rhubarb Fizz, while my rhubarb syrup lasts.
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