Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Women’s contributions to the history of alcohol have been greatly overlooked and undermined over time, with only a few household names and trivia making it to general knowledge. Their discoveries and accomplishments are undeniable and have greatly influenced the course of booze history. Let us honor the women who have paved the way for us and those who are still breaking barriers today, and creating a gender-equal environment in a male-dominated drink world. Here’s to the women who shaped what we drink and how we drink. Mothers of Invention Did you know that beer, which tends to be portrayed as a drink for men, was invented by women? Women’s participation in beer brewing has been documented back to 4,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, or maybe even earlier. Ancient Sumerians even had a goddess of beer, Ninkasi, and women brewed beer both for rituals as well as for their homes, as brewing was seen as a domestic task. Women also owned taverns during that time, where they likely brewed their own beer. Toil and Trouble The processes of brewing and fermenting were primarily seen as women’s work until the 1500s, until women brewers were maliciously defamed and accused of being witches. The witch iconography is also riddled with references to women brewers: the tall, pointy hats for their customers to spot them easily in the crowded marketplace, the cauldrons they used to transport their brews, and the cats they had—not as familiars—but as deterrents for mice. During this time of suspicion, male brewers saw an opportunity to cut down their competition by spreading rumors that female brewers were witches who used their cauldrons to brew potions instead of beer. Unfortunately, the rumors stuck and it eventually became dangerous for women to brew and sell beer as they could be accused of being witches and be persecuted or worse, sentenced to death. Bootlegging Babes Any drink enthusiast worth their salt knows about the Prohibition Era. It’s one of the linchpins of cocktail culture and history. While women in the temperance movement had a hand in getting the Prohibition Era started, women also rose up in the booze industry during that time of abstinence. Women were some of the first bootleggers. And because of how women were seen at that time, coupled with the era’s fashion, women bootleggers got away with hiding alcohol on their clothes in ways that men could not, making them more adept at the business. Raise the Bar A Bar at the Folies-Bergère by Édouard Manet (image from Wikimedia) It’s surprising to know that there was a time when it was illegal for women to even be in bars, much less work there. Although barmaids wore the pants, so to speak, in the salons during the 18th century, things changed when a group of men decided that the bar was not a place for a woman. This not only hindered women’s right to earn a living through serving drinks, but also discouraged women from drinking at all and were shamed for it. Some establishments that hired women as barmaids were met with legal actions, as several states in the US like Missouri considered it a felony for women to work in dramshops and bars while women in Montana were threatened with arrest, and women in Michigan weren’t even allowed into any place that sold alcohol. There was a bit of a reprieve during World War II, when women took over men’s jobs, including tending bar. But in the late 1940s, women lost their jobs after the men came back from the war. Male-only bartenders’ unions across the US succeeded in getting some states to pass laws barring women from the profession altogether. Bartending was another occupation where men discriminated against women in the guise of protecting them, insinuating that women did not have the temperament for bartending or that women could be corrupted by the job, or liquor itself. They were trying to get women into more stereotypical gendered jobs. Thankfully, these laws were eventually overturned a decade later, thanks to the tenacity of Valentine Goesaert and Anne Davidow, who fought for barmaids to be allowed to serve. Spirited Women Booze history has several accounts of women’s discoveries and contributions. St. Hildegard of Bingen, a German natural scientist and a nun, was the first person to recommend adding hops as a healing, bittering, and preserving agent, which revolutionized beer a good 500 years before this became mainstream. Betsy Flanagan, said to be the mother of cocktails according to popular origin stories, would garnish drinks with cockerel’s feather, thus the name cocktail was born. Helen Cumming, the first female founder of Scotch whisky, founded Cardhu in the early 19th century and was an original bootlegger — distilling whisky in secret — and passed on her legacy to another female pioneer, her daughter-in-law, Elizabeth. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Conker Spirit Distillery (@conkerdistillery) Ada Coleman, also known as “Coley” to her regulars, was the head bartender of Savoy American Bar in London, and is considered one of history’s most talented mixologists. She was an absolute legend years before her time, working in an era when women were not often seen behind the bar, and earning the head bartender title before the age of 30! She also created the classic cocktail Hanky Panky (a negroni-like cocktail made with gin, sweet vermouth, and Fernet Branca) and is credited with training Harry Craddock, the author of “The Savoy Cocktail Book”. Local Ladies Leading The Way We’ve come a long way from being executed for making beer or barred from entering and working in a drinking establishment, but our journey is not yet done. There are still certain misconceptions about what women like to drink as well as misconceptions about women who like to drink. Either seen as a boozehound, promiscuous, or exclusive imbibers of fruity, colorful cocktails, women tend to get overlooked or not taken seriously when it comes to alcohol. Normally the “reward” in booze advertising (as seen in ads featuring scantily clad women hawking the products), women have been seen selling the booze, but not really drinking it. In reality, women in the local drink industry are continuing to break barriers and pave the way for other women to pursue careers in this field. From leading companies, like Olivia Limpe-Aw, the chairman and president of the Destileria Limtuaco — the oldest distillery in the country — to creating local craft spirits like Proclamation Gin’s Cheryl Tiu, women are definitely carving a presence in the industry. DrinkManila’s Women and Tipple event with Destiliria Limtuaco There has also been a changing attitude with regard to women in the liquor industry. Once seen as a male-only domain, women are now finding lucrative and fulfilling careers in the industry. We’ve seen an increase in women brand managers, brand ambassadors, and bartenders over the years. Women are also actively learning more about and getting a better understanding of alcoholic beverages. DrinkManila.com was founded by women, and most of our contributors and readers are women as well. There has also been a rise of women-focused drink events like DrinkManila’s Women and Tipple series, a set of tasting events led by women that foster spirited conversations about what women like to drink. Read more about women in the local drink industry here. The Future is Female Despite being underestimated, undermined, and told repeatedly that this industry isn’t for women, members of the fairer sex have persevered, adapted, and thrived. History shows the resilience, tenacity, and ingenuity of women, making it absolutely clear that booze is not just the domain of men. This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating the achievements of women in alcohol history and industry, while also acknowledging the work that remains to be done. Let’s pour ourselves a nice drink, and raise our glasses to all the women before us that helped create spirits and shape the drinking culture. Find out more about Filipina bartenders here and here.