Q: How did you end up writing this book?
A: I was already a journalist covering travel and food and
wound up taking a whiskey tour in Kentucky and Tennessee. Before that, I never
cared to learn much about spirits and drank what amounted to a bunch of
low-quality, sugary liquors that masked the taste of the alcohol.
But once I met the distillers, learned how to taste and all
the care and effort it took to produce the whiskey, I couldn't believe what I
had been missing and began to explore why I, like so many other women, hadn't
yet conquered the world of spirits like they have in other realms.
I realized that liquor company marketing had a lot to do
with it and also that gender roles had been playing out in our glasses
throughout history. That's when I knew I needed to write a book that celebrates
women in spirits and also educates them.
Q: How has the relationship between women and liquor changed
over the years?
A: We have definitely had this on-again, off-again
relationship. Women have played and still play crucial roles behind the bar as
hostesses and businesspeople, even though female consumers still get funky
looks when they order a scotch neat with a side of water at a bar.
There were some very interesting women at the forefront of
Prohibition as well, as rumrunners, and enforcers. Women were arguably the
driving force for enacting Prohibition and also to repeal it years later.
As late as the 1970s, a law still existed in California forbidding
women from serving whiskey in a bar, but there are many more well-known women
in the industry now.
Female consumers still, by and large, aren't as comfortable
ordering traditionally "manly" or "strong" drinks, but
hopefully the influx of women coming in as producers, bartenders and
entrepreneurs will begin to change that as we all focus on educating them. And
educating all people, for that matter.
Q: What more can you tell us about the history of women
bartenders?
A: There have been some amazing female bartenders throughout
history who have used their generally warm and hospitable personalities to
make guests feel comfortable and welcome.
They are notable for their business savvy at a time when it
was unusual for women to be entrepreneurs in the industry, like Alice Guest in
the 18th century and even Helen David in this century.
Now there are several very well respected bartenders working
to bring women into the spirits fold, like Lynnette Marrero, who wrote my
foreword and who started a women-only bartending competition that raises money
for breast cancer called Speed-Rack.
Q: Why are some drinks considered more popular among women,
and do you think they should be?
A: I can't speak for all women, but I can tell you that what
I've seen a lot of are things like vodka-sodas, and anything with fruit or
bubbles in it.
I also can't say that I think women should be drinking a
certain type of spirit or cocktail, because I don't think we should be
pigeonholed to expectations of us, which has gotten us to this state in the
first place.
But I would love to see more women ordering fine aged
spirits neat (Think Don Julio 1942 or a Glenrothes Select Reserve, or maybe
it's a Zacapa XO?) and boozy, stirred cocktails like Manhattans, gin martinis,
Rob Roys and Negronis as their go-tos. Their classic, punchy flavors and
romantic histories should appeal to women and men alike.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I am working on a few freelance travel and drinks
articles, and I am also outlining a new book that will be written in the same
vein as Booze for Babes but on a different subject.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I want to be clear that I'm not telling all women that
what they like to drink now is inferior. But I do want them to step outside
their comfort zones to try new spirits and learn to appreciate just about
anything, even if it's not necessarily their thing.
I also just want to arm women with the tools they need to
make educated buying decisions. A great palate takes time to develop and
it is such a joy to be able to grab some friends, and explore all of the
affordable luxuries available out there now! But always drink moderately, too.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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