Women in whiskey: What to know about 9 essential Tennessee whiskey stars past and present

Sherrie Moore, a former director of whiskey operations at Uncle Nearest, is now a highly sought-after whiskey consultant with her own label, Moore Whiskey. Moore entered the industry in the 1970s. Even at that not-so-long-ago time, women could not get credit without a male co-signer.

Alex Castle became Tennessee's first female master distiller at Memphis' Old Dominick Distillery in 2015 — nearly 150 years after Tennessee's oldest distillery, The Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, was established (1866).

Castle and Moore recently spoke on a Nelson's Green Brier Distillery-hosted panel with other notable women in whiskey, including Tiana Saul, head distiller with Chattanooga Whiskey, and Erica Dahlgren, hospitality manager with Nelson’s Green Brier. The occasion was National Women's Day and Women's History Month, with the aim to shed light on women's contributions to whiskey's past and present.

Best whiskey in Nashville: These bars have rarest bottles, biggest selections

More than 200 women work behind the scenes at Tennessee distilleries, said Karen Locke, the author of "Bourbon Belles and Whiskey Women." Locke also served as the event's panel moderator. The women, located at 18 or more distilleries, build casks, fabricate stills and work in blending labs.

"And these women are not getting the credit they deserve for their passionate work," she said.

For Women’s History Month, there are numerous ways to celebrate the spirit of women in Tennessee's whiskey industry, from embarking on distillery visits to buying top-notch bottles. Here are few of those women, past and present.

Fawn Weaver and Victoria Eady Butler

Fawn Weaver is CEO and founder of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, the top-selling, Black-owned spirits brand in the world. Victoria Eady Butler is the master distiller at the Shelbyville-based headquarters named after her great-great-grandfather Nathan “Nearest” Green, who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey. unclenearest.com

• Visit: The Nearest Green Distillery is a temple to Tennessee whiskey and monument to the accomplishments of women and a once-enslaved Black man who became improbably influential in the South. The onsite Humble Baron Bar features live music and a gospel brunch celebration every Sunday.

• Drink: With every blend of Uncle Nearest, Butler selects a barrel she believes to be the best of the batch and sets it aside for the cask-strength Master Blend Edition.

More whiskey: Why the founding father of Tennessee whiskey isn't who you think it is

Nicole Austin

George Dickel, now renamed Cascade Hollow Distilling Co., is the only American whiskey distillery still in production that was also once owned by a woman in the 1800s. Nicole Austin has been the master distiller behind the Tullahoma distillery since 2018, putting her behind the brand's most beloved releases. www.georgedickel.com

• Visit: Cascade Hollow offers regular tours and tastings, including the George Dickel Single Barrel Experience, during which visitors can sample three 15-Year single barrels and take a bottle home.

• Drink: George Dickel Bottled in Bond and the 100-proof Cascade Moon 13-year-old Rye.

Louisa Nelson and Erica Dahlgren

Not all women in whiskey came into it recently. Nelson's Green Brier, for example, was once under the charge of Louisa Nelson, wife of Charles Nelson, who founded the Nelson Distillery in the early 1870s. Louisa Nelson ran the operation from 1891 until Prohibition shuttered the distillery in 1909. In the interim, she grew it into one of the largest in the country.

In those early days of whiskey's history, women did not yet have the right to vote, or even to own property.

"But technically you were considered the property of your marital relationship," Locke said. "And this is where we come from — these historical women owning and running distilleries like Louisa."

Now, hospitality manager Erica Dahlgren follows Louisa Nelson's footsteps, keeping watch over the distillery and restaurant and making sure everything is in order. greenbrierdistillery.com

• Visit: Take a guided tour of Green Brier Distillery’s Marathon Village in Nashville and learn more about how brothers Andy and Charlie Nelson revived the family business.

• Drink: Louisa's Liqueur, a not-too-sweet liqueur with flavors and aromas of caramel, coffee and pecans.

Kendra Anderson

At Franklin's Leiper's Fork, head distiller Kendra Anderson is dedicated to using pre-Prohibition techniques and a small-batch approach when turning out the 25,000 gallons of whiskey the distillery produces annually, resulting in some of the finest spirits in the state. leipersforkdistillery.com

• Visit: On a guided tour of Leiper’s Fork, you’ll visit the distillery’s stillhouse, learn how they make traditional small-batch whiskey and try spirits in a 200-year-old tasting room.

• Drink: Tennessee Whiskey Bottled in Bond, with its notes of chocolate, roasted coffee, caramel, red berries and baking spices.

Tiana Saul

First educated as an anthropologist, Saul moved from San Francisco to Chattanooga on a whim.

"It seemed like a good place to start," she said.

She started as assistant manager at the Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery in 2015, eventually becoming the head distiller in 2023. She's since left her mark on Tennessee’s spirits with her barrel-aged gins, infused liqueurs and the acclaimed Chattanooga Whiskey. Saul leads a team of 15 full-time employees, overseeing all aspects of production from grain to glass.

• Visit: Each visit to Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery is an exploration of hand-crafted bourbon, with the aging cellar boasting more than 100 different barrels. Reserve a tour and tasting at chattanoogawhiskey.com.

• Drink: You'll find many experimental batches, including Batch 036, a German-style bourbon liqueur crafted from German specialty malts and a blend of botanicals.

Lexie Phillips

Before Phillips became the assistant distiller at Jack Daniel Distillery, her journey began in quality control and distillery operations. Now, she works closely with master distiller Chris Fletcher to drive whiskey innovation. Her infectious spirit also makes her an ideal brand ambassador, though her prowess at whiskey-making is the role that should define her. www.jackdaniels.com

• Visit: On the immersive Jack n’ Back tour, spend a day in historic Lynchburg, with plenty of tastings and the story of how the best-selling American whiskey in the world grew from the smallest county in Tennessee.

• Drink: In 2024, the distillery launched Batch 2 of its 12-Year-Old Tennessee Whiskey and Batch 3 of its 10-Year-Old Tennessee Whiskey, which both boast notes of oak butterscotch and tobacco.

Alex Castle

Alex Castle was supervising Wild Turkey’s 24-hour-a-day operation at age 24. And now, she's Old Dominick Distillery’s master distiller and vice president.

With early experience in the heart of Kentucky’s bourbon belt, Castle brings a spirit of experimentation to her work at Old Dominick. In 2020, Castle was elected the first female president of the Tennessee Distillers Guild, a position she still holds today. olddominick.com

• Visit: From an in-depth discussion of the history of whiskey in Memphis to an exclusive look into Old Dominick’s aging loft, try the Beyond the Barrel tour.

• Drink: Castle's Small-Batch Bourbon Series allows whiskey drinkers to savor the nuances and complexities across a range of expressions.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee whiskey: Moore Whiskey, Old Dominick Distillery make history