WHISKY AUCTIONEER HOLDS WORLD’S FIRST AUCTION

DEDICATED TO WOMEN IN WHISKY

Whisky Auctioneer, the leading global online whisky and spirits auction platform, will host the world’s very first auction dedicated to recognising the achievements and contributions of women in the sector. The auction is in partnership with OurWhisky Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting, recognising and empowering professional women in whisky. It will offer whisky enthusiasts and collectors from around the world the opportunity to acquire rare bottles while supporting a worthy cause.

Named after the goddess of grain, The Demeter Collection will feature a curated selection of unique releases, all of which have been crafted and inspired by the industry’s most talented women. Each bottle in the collection will not only showcase the craft involved in distillation and maturation, but also highlight compelling stories of the women involved in their creation.

The inaugural auction will run from March 29 to April 8 at www.whiskyauctioneer.com. Funds raised from the auction, including Whisky Auctioneer’s buyer’s fees, will be donated to the OurWhisky Foundation in support of its work providing initiatives and projects that support women working in whisky. This includes its widely acclaimed mentorship programme, groundbreaking stock image library, The Modern Face of Whisky, and work with brands and stakeholders to build a more welcoming, diverse and inclusive industry.

Joe Wilson, Head Curator and Spirits Specialist at Whisky Auctioneer, said:

“Historically, our industry has lacked diversity, and that’s something we’re determined to change. To that end, we have been delighted to witness the incredible achievements of The OurWhisky Foundation and are thrilled to host this auction and shine a spotlight on the stories of women within our industry.

“The Demeter Collection is an exciting group of one-of-a-kind and collectible bottlings from very diverse distilleries. Our hope is that this auction will not only catch the attention of enthusiasts and collectors worldwide to raise important funds for The OurWhisky Foundation, but also inspire current and future generations of women in whisky.”

The world’s first survey of women in the global whisky industry conducted by the OurWhisky Foundation last year revealed widespread sexism and bias. More than 80% of respondents making, selling and promoting whisky reported being asked by both colleagues and consumers if they even like the spirit, with a staggering 89% agreeing that consumers still widely perceive whisky to be a man’s drink.

Becky Paskin, founder of the OurWhisky Foundation, added:

“Despite her important role within Greek mythology, Demeter remains one of the lesser-known of the Olympians, her story largely untold in popular culture. Yet her heroic tale of overcoming obstacles to support her daughter, all while sharing her knowledge and wisdom with others, embodies many similar values as the OurWhisky Foundation.

“Just like Demeter’s sidelining in pop culture, women’s contributions to whisky have been vastly under-recognised. Through the Demeter Collection we want to honour the grain goddess and tell the untold stories of women in whisky, while raising much-needed funds to enable the OurWhisky Foundation to support, recognise and empower future generations of women in the industry.”

A total of 18 lots will be included in Whisky Auctioneer’s March auction. Highlights include exclusive expressions from distilleries such as an exclusive 32 year old blend from House of Hazelwood, The Loch Lomond Sonata Collection, a 44 year old commemorative bottling of Dalmore celebrating whisky maker Margaret Nicol’s 50th anniversary, a 20 year old Ardbeg created by master blender Gillian Macdonald to celebrate 20 years in the industry and an inaugural cask release from Cooper King distillery. 

The auction will be hosted online from March 29, coinciding with Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day. To register for the auction, click HERE.

Full lot listing:

• Aberfeldy 40 Year Old
• Ardbeg Twenty
• Arbikie Farm Experience + Hand-filled Rye Whisky
• Atonia’s Legacy: The Sarah Burgess Edition
• Cooper King Cask No. 1: Inaugural Release
• Cotswolds Distillery One of One
• CRN57
• House of Hazelwood:  The Long View
• JJ Corry x Tipperary: The Founders Bottles #1
• Laphroaig 25 Year Old: The Bessie Williamson Story
• Loch Lomond Sonata Collection
• Nc’nean Aon 17-302
• SMWS Christmas on the Beach
• Strathearn Single Malt Scotch Whisky
• The Borders Distillery IWD Quarter Cask
• The Dalmore 44 Years Old
• The GlenDronach 30 Year Old Single Cask
• Wire Works Love, Sweat & Tears

For more information on the lots, see here.

About The Demeter Collection:

The OurWhisky Foundation is delighted to introduce the Demeter Collection, the world’s first auction of whiskies celebrating female achievement, held in partnership with Whisky Auctioneer.

Named after the Greek goddess of grain, the Demeter Collection will highlight unique and exquisite whiskies crafted and inspired by some of the industry’s most talented women, maintaining a particular focus on the compelling stories of those involved in their creation.

The inaugural auction will be hosted 29 March- 8 April 2024, coinciding with Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, as well as the OurWhisky Foundation’s second anniversary. The carefully curated Collection will be held every two years with all proceeds donated to the OurWhisky Foundation.

Demeter (Duh-mee-tuh) was the Greek goddess of the harvest and agriculture, presiding over crops, grains and the fertility of the earth. Known as the ‘good goddess’, she gifted humankind with the knowledge to grow and harvest their own crops. Such was her deep connection to the planet that she is often likened to Gaia, while some claim her name translates to ‘Mother Earth’.

According to legend, her daughter Persephone was abducted and held hostage in the underworld by Demeter’s brother, Hades. Racked with grief, Demeter plunged the world into a deep famine as she searched far and wide for her lost daughter. Ultimately Hades allowed Persephone to return to the surface for just eight months a year. It was only during this time that Demeter allowed crops to grow once more, thereby creating the seasons, a continuous evolution of time that symbolises the eternal cycle of life and passing of knowledge from generation to generation.

About Whisky Auctioneer

Whisky Auctioneer is the global market leader and trusted authority on the buying and selling of whisky and spirits at auction. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Perth, Scotland, Whisky Auctioneer utilises its expertise and knowledge combined with its auction platform to increase interest and passion in the whisky and spirits community. The business currently sees over 150,000 bids per month and has conducted deliveries to 74 countries across the globe.

The central Scotland headquarter’s success paved the way for international expansion with secondary offices now located in central London and the Netherlands.

Whisky Auctioneer endeavours to make the secondary market more accessible for buyers and sellers of any background and demographic, wherever in the world they are based. Its monthly global auctions feature the most comprehensive selection of old, rare and collectible whiskies and spirits online, and are unmatched in volume, variety of bottles offered and prices achieved. Alongside an unrivalled selection of rare Scotch whisky and Irish Whiskey, Whisky Auctioneer has also established the business as the market-leading specialist in presenting world whiskies for sale; from rare American whiskey and bourbon to iconic Japanese whiskies.

In February 2021, the online auction house made history during the iconic sale of The Perfect Collection, when a bottle of The Macallan 1926 Fine and Rare 60 Year Old sold for a hammer price of £1 million. This was the first time a single bottle of whisky has sold at an online-only auction for one million pounds.

About The OurWhisky Foundation:

The OurWhisky Foundation is the world’s first non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting, recognising and empowering professional women in whisky across the globe, while advocating for a more inclusive and diverse industry.

Founded in 2022 by drinks journalist Becky Paskin, the UK-based organisation works with the global drinks industry to provide diversity and inclusion consultancy, as well as surveys, reports, events and initiatives that inspire change.

Its ground-breaking mentorship programme, which pairs mentees with some of the biggest names in whisky while providing free workshops and networking opportunities, has so far guided 175 women and non-binary individuals toward reaching their goals, with many securing new jobs and promotions as a result.

In 2023 the Foundation introduced the Modern Face of Whisky stock image library, an evolving, free-to-use collection of professional photography enabling the media and wider industry to more accurately represent the diversity of today’s whisky drinker beyond the masculine stereotype. Within its first eight months, the library received 10 million views and 100,000 downloads with the images featured across global print and digital media.

In the same year, the Foundation surveyed over 600 women for its Do You Even Like Whisky? report – the world’s first survey of women in whisky, which revealed the extent of sexism and unconscious bias prevalent in the industry. The report has since led to policy changes within many whisky organisations.

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