On Friday 7 March, Momentum’s Denise Callan attended a special International Women’s Day event hosted by Women in Irish Whiskey at Midleton Distillery. Denise was joined by Clodagh Qualter from project partner BIA Innovator Campus, with both attending in their capacity as partners on the Erasmus+ VINTA project. The event was organised by Anne Marie Kelly and Heather Clancy, and gathered women from across Ireland representing a wide variety of roles within the whiskey sector, including owners, blenders, brand managers, financial analysts, quality assurance specialists, public affairs professionals, distillery tourism providers, archivists, journalists, students and educators.
The event began with a tour of Midleton Distillery, followed by a great opportunity to connect with attendees over coffee. A panel discussion then brought together Carol Quinn, Jaime Jordan, Aoife Clarke and Alice Carroll, each sharing their journey into the industry and reflecting on the challenges and opportunities they have encountered. It was an engaging and inspiring session that highlighted the depth of talent and experience that women contribute to the drinks sector.
Denise took the opportunity to introduce the VINTA project to the room. VINTA is a European cooperation project that Momentum is proud to be part of, focused on improving access, progression and leadership opportunities for women in brewing, distilling and winemaking. It was a fantastic setting in which to share some early project results, and the team was really encouraged by the positive feedback and genuine interest shown by attendees.
Momentum would like to thank Women in Irish Whiskey for the warm welcome and for the opportunity to introduce VINTA to such an engaged and knowledgeable audience. Events like this are a reminder of why this work matters. The VINTA project is still in its early stages and, over the next two years, will be developing practical resources to support women across the drinks industry.
To find out more about the VINTA project, visit vintaproject.eu.
