Women and Whisky

[Andy M]

I saw this piece in The Guardianand thought it would of interest to you.

Whisky, traditionally the macho drink of choice for middle-aged men, is increasingly becoming a favourite among women.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society has almost doubled its female members in the past three years and manufacturers claim there has been a noticeable rise in female connoisseurs. Images of celebrities such as KT Tunstall, Kate Moss and Zoe Ball, along with increasing depictions of female television characters drinking whisky, have all helped create an upsurge in new varieties of an old drink.

Research conducted by AC Nielsen suggests that at least a quarter of scotch drinkers in the UK are now female, compared to just one in 10 a few years ago, prompting whisky companies to widen their focus to engage with the evolving market.

"The important thing about whisky is - contrary to what people think - there is a wide variety of styles and tastes," said Campbell Evans of the Scotch Whisky Association. "There is much less concern about mixing blended whisky with other drinks like lemonade and cola, or of trying it in cocktails, than there used to be. People are experimenting far more."

Liqueurs laced with whisky are also proving a popular way of enticing the female market.

"A big number of our customers are women. They really like whisky-based liqueurs," said Roy Lewis, who runs the successful Hebridean Liqueur Company. "Women buy a lot of our products as gifts, but we find that about 90% of them usually buy one for themselves at the same time.

"A lot of our female customers claim they don't like whisky and are then pleasantly surprised that they are able to enjoy it as a liqueur."

The Leith Liqueur Company, another of the new breed of producers, has had such a success with its Strawberry Kiss liqueur that it featured in the final of the World of Whiskies Awards in 2007.

The latest figures show that women now account for 15% of all members of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, compared with 9% three years ago. And the society says they are often among the most enthusiastic.

"The glamorisation of whisky by celebrities is one of the reasons why whisky is enjoying heightened success," said Kai Ivalo, marketing director of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. "There is plenty of evidence that increasing numbers of females are joining us now.

"The society is fun and approachable, it's not snooty or elitist. There's no funny handshake or tests to see how much you know about whisky. We have developed an environment that many women feel comfortable in and enjoy."

Neil Macdonald, brand director of Glenlivet, added: "In February, at the annual Whisky Live event in London, we noted an increase in the number of women at the Glenlivet stand, a real mix of connoisseurs and new whisky drinkers. Many of these ladies had travelled specifically for Whisky Live and were very knowledgeable about scotch.

"Mistakes have been made in the past when marketing to women by offering purely cosmetic or 'lighter' drinks. Today we find that female consumers are often the most demanding - looking for product integrity and substance."

I am lucky my wife has no interest in malt whisky as i dont think i could afford buying whisky for us both.

Andy

[Mark]

[islayonspey]