Heather Greene Michter’s American Whiskeys

Heather Greene is a renegade, rule-breaker, and fighter. She counts the following experiences as notches under her belt as one of the few women pioneers in the spirits industry:

• Being told “no” over and over again
• Corporate Rejection: “We don’t hire women”
• Being used as a token
• Failing
• Getting up again

Heather brings people together by sharing her love and appreciation for fine spirits. This traditionally male-dominated arena has changed around her over the past decade; today women make up 37% of the red-hot spirits market. She’s observed her audience grow from a handful of men to packed houses with diverse imbibers of both sexes, all waiting to hear the story of how she began in this industry and rose to the top with her own books, T.V. appearances and productions, and a smattering of awards.

It wasn’t always easy. In fact a lot of it was downright tough. She had plenty of naysayers along the way. And yet…..she knew that women probably invented distillation. Heather has worked with scientists who’ve know for a century that women nose and taste better than men. Our diverse cultural backgrounds – where and how we grew up – influence how we perceive the world through smell and taste too. From that seed, it turns out that a lot of places she thought were off-limits should be open game. Today Heather makes a living as an author, writer, photographer and producer. As it turns out, a seat at the table was always her rightful place. Pull up a chair. There’s a spot for you too.