Earlier this month, bourbon brand Woodford Reserve named Elizabeth McCall as master distiller, one of the few women to achieve the title among major whiskey companies. She is also the second generation of her family with a career in the spirits industry, following in her mother’s footsteps who worked at the Seagram’s production facility in the 1970s and 80s.
In 2009 McCall joined the distillery’s parent company, Brown-Forman, beginning her career in the research and development department. She rose up the ranks to master taster in 2015, and three years later to assistant master distiller, one of the youngest women to achieve the title in the bourbon industry. Now, she’s the third master distiller in the company’s nearly three-decades-long history.
We caught up with McCall for a round of questions including about her outlook for the future of the category, if trends impact the distillery’s strategy, and how inclusivity has shaped the industry. This conversation has been edited for clarity and space.
There’s a growing demand for American whiskey, particularly high-end, how do consumer trends impact your strategy for new releases?
We have a product insights team that track trends in the whiskey space. What is interesting about what is trending currently in whiskey and what we can produce is that they are very disconnected. The quickest turnaround time is a minimum of five years from distillation to bottle. So we look to trends as a way to help us understand where things might be going, but it’s hard to predict the future. That is why I pay attention to what is trending, use that as inspiration and then create something that fits with Woodford for many years into the future.
What trends or developments in the whiskey industry capture your interest and what excites you about the future of the category?
Since I started in the spirits industry in 2009 I have noticed a major shift in the inclusivity of it. Within just the past five years or so there has been a major intentional change in attitude. It feels so much more welcoming to people of all colors, genders, LGBTQ+, you name it. It feels so good to see this change. With this, I have also noticed that the doors have really opened up to fun and interesting innovations. People like it when you go outside of the box and use non-traditional grain recipes, barrel finishes, and manipulation of the maturation environment. The more out-there the idea, the more praise you get. It makes innovation a lot of fun. I think that this trend will continue into the future and then we will see a return to more traditional whiskey styles.
You’re the third master distiller in this company’s 26-year history: what are you looking forward to in this next chapter for Woodford Reserve and your new role?
I’m looking forward to maintaining the integrity of our core expressions. Making one-time expressions such as our master’s collection is relatively easy in comparison to maintaining a consistent flavor profile from batch to batch. That consistency takes a lot of quality checks throughout the production process. With that in mind I’m looking forward to getting back to my quality roots and spending more time in that space. Innovation is another area where I will play a leading role. I’m looking forward to creating interesting grain recipes utilizing local Kentucky-grown grains. I’ve been working on a project to bring the commercial production of small grains such as rye and barley back to Kentucky and I’m really excited about this work, and it helps me to better understand the agricultural side of our industry.
You’re also the second generation of women in your family working in the spirits industry. What has changed (and what hasn’t changed) in the whiskey industry for women since your mother got involved?
When my mother was working in the whiskey industry she was the only woman managing a team. They didn’t have maternity leave benefits or any flexibility. My mother never talked about the significance of her being the only woman managing a team and I think that’s because she didn’t let that stand in her way. But if my mom had the work environment that I get to work in today she would not have left the industry. Working for Brown-Forman, I feel supported making sure that I can take time for myself and my family. We have amazing benefits, plus maternity and paternity leave, which is a game-changer for keeping women in the workforce.
How has the growth of the whiskey category affected the need for talent or the pathways into the industry?
We need more young people to enter the spirits industry workforce. I think we need to do a better job of telling young people about the many different areas of the spirits industry. There is hospitality, finance, marketing, science, engineering—you name it, there is probably a job for it in the spirits industry. We need talented young people to come work with us.
Has the role of master distiller changed over the years, how?
Since I started in the industry in 2009, the role of a master distiller has evolved in some ways but stayed constant in others. There is no set definition on what qualifies an individual to be named master distiller, the role is defined by the individual company or brand. When I started, companies that had master distillers seemed to follow the same formula of an individual with years of experience in the whiskey industry who rose through the ranks to claim the title. Everything they learned was in-house.
Today, universities and colleges have distilling certification programs and other related areas of study. Individuals may no longer need to rise through the ranks at their respective company or distillery, they could get hired-in or go to work on a craft start-up brand and assume the role. Still the disparity between what defines a master distiller is there: Are they just a face, are they working in the distillery, are they a hybrid? That’s all up to the brand and the company to decide.