Laphroaig Raises a Glass on International Women’s Day

March 8th marks International Women’s Day, honoring female influencers in a variety of different areas who helped shape where women are today.

Laphroaig Scotch

Scotch is often thought of as a male-dominated industry, but Laphroaig – along with many other renowned distilleries – wouldn’t be the same if it weren’t for countless women behind the brand. To celebrate this international holiday, we wanted to call attention to two women who have helped make Laphroaig what it is today and raise a glass of Laphroaig 10 Year Old to all women who have impacted the whisky industry?

Laphroaig would like to honor both Bessie Williamson and Vicky Stevens for their pioneering roles in the world of whisky. Each have impacted Laphroaig, as well as the overall Scotch industry, in their own unique way and below I have included some brief information on these extraordinary women.

Bessie Williamson

Bessie Williamson owned and managed the Laphroaig distillery from 1954-1972, and is known to be the only female Scotch whisky distiller during the 20th century. She was instrumental in promoting single-malt Scotch to international recognition, and was a necessary force in growing Laphroaig to where it is now.

Vicky Stevens

Today, Vicky Stevens continues the strong female role at Laphroaig by managing the Visitor Center and serving as a global ambassador for Laphroaig. She is a driving force behind the hugely successful “Friends of Laphroaig” program, which boasts over 600,000 members in over 150 countries and continues to grow worldwide. She also pioneered the in-depth whisky tour at the distillery where she has set the standard for visitor experiences among distilleries around the globe.

Visit Laphroaig.com