Meet three women who are putting their own stamp on a Southern tradition
What do three distinct Southern spirits brands have in common? They are all led by strong women who know a lot about liquor. These heroines are rewriting the rules in an industry that has been historically dominated by men, overseeing operations with intentionality and cultivating products they can be proud of.
In a business run by big-name brands, these family-owned Southern concepts are carving their own lane and earning spots on cocktail menus, store shelves and connoisseurs’ bar carts.
In Donaldsonville, Noël Spirits is creating sips that are ideal for gamedays or any Louisiana celebration. Using sugar from its family-owned Pointe Coupee Parish farm, Baton Rouge’s Oxbow Rum Distillery is producing craft bottles with quality in mind. And in Bardstown, Kentucky, 90-year-old Willett Distillery is using tried-and-true processes to manufacture its signature bottles and brown liquors, under the direction of a company president with an LSU pedigree and a Baton Rouge home.
Read on to get to know the three women who are taking ownership of their family businesses with a little liquid courage.
Olivia Stewart of Oxbow Rum Distillery
Natalie Noel of Noël Spirits
Britt Kulsveen of Willett Distillery
This article was originally published in the October 2026 issue of 225 Magazine.
