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According to businesswomen Sheila Jackson and Natasha McCrea, co-founders and co-CEOs of Jackson McCrea Rye Whiskey, female whiskey drinkers tend to keep their love for the drink “on the down low.”
“Sometimes it’s not even a conscious thing,” observes San Jose, California, native McCrea. “Oftentimes, we show up in spaces that are ushering us into something. And, most events are ushering you into wine…I feel like it [whiskey] wasn’t even thought about. I never analyzed or asked the question, ‘Hey, why am I not talking about whiskey as much as I love it?’”
Business partner Jackson, who hails from Memphis, Tennessee, adds, “I think women have been completely removed from the vernacular, from the culture around whiskey…And I say this, having grown up in the South, there was a little taint put on a woman who would drink ‘brown liquor.’ I have friends who would only drink whiskey at home. There’s a mythology around women and whiskey that we’re here to undo.”
How Wine Inspired Jackson McCrea Rye Whiskey
Interestingly enough, it was wine that first brought the serial entrepreneurs together. “We came together at a Sundance Film Festival event because we both work in the film space. I had reached out to Natasha because I had been exploring wine and whiskey in terms of a business. I was on the wine side of the exploration and had become an ambassador for the [luxury wine] Boisset Collection,” recalls Jackson, a noted writer/historian and a development producer for film and television.
At the time of their meeting, McCrea, whose entertainment experience spans over 20 years as an actor/director and award-winning producer, was organizing events for high-achieving women dubbed “Wednesday Wine Downs,” which provided the ideal platform for the award-winning wines Jackson was showcasing.
McCrea ended up joining Jackson in the wine business just as COVID began. The pair went on to innovate virtual tasting events, starting with a “Rosé Yacht Party” that gained popularity during the pandemic.
A Deep Dive Into Whiskey Love
Fortunately for whiskey lovers, the women decided to dive deeper into their passions for the distilled liquor. Four years ago, the duo met for dinner, and much to Jackson’s surprise, McCrea was enjoying an Old Fashioned cocktail.
I said, “You drink whiskey? You know I’m from Tennessee, right? I grew up drinking whiskey,” Jackson recalls. “Natasha and I knew each other four or five years before we knew that we both loved whiskey as much as we loved wine!”
From there, the conversation began about how to craft a premium whiskey that women would enjoy—and the idea of Jackson McCrea Rye Whiskey was born.
To turn the dream of Jackson McCrea Rye Whiskey into a reality, the entrepreneurs began by asking women what qualities they enjoyed most about the spirit.
They crafted a survey and distributed it everywhere, including social media and women-focused wine and women’s whiskey organizations. The business partners discovered that women who love wine often love whiskey.
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What Women Want in a Whiskey
“The women who responded to our survey enjoy flavors such as spice, caramel, and smoke,” details McCrea, who is also the founder of Love CEO Institute, a personal development company for women.
Finding there was very little research and statistics available about women and whiskey was another reason the duo felt the need for the survey. “We also wanted women to know that they were being seen by the Jackson McCrea Rye Whiskey brand,” offers Jackson.
“There’s an assumption that what women want is something in a pink bottle with sugar added—and that is not the case. Now some of us may like that and it’s not to speak negatively about people who want their cosmos; we get to like what we like. But, there’s a stereotype about a ‘woman’s drink,’ and we wanted to hone in on: What do women really want?”
The answers revealed by the whiskey survey served as the DNA for what would ultimately become Jackson McCrea Rye Whiskey. “They wanted something they could sip ‘neat’ [sans ice at room temperature]. Women wanted something really rich and smooth,” reveals Jackson about their findings.
For McCrea, the survey results served as a beautiful confirmation of what the pair instinctively knew: women enjoy a nuanced whiskey that unfolds with a more complex flavor profile.
Born in Tennessee, Grown and Sexy in Cali
To create Jackson McCrea Rye Whiskey, Jackson turned to her roots and sourced the brand’s rye from Tennessee. The premium grain was then brought to northern California to be distilled and aged in French oak syrah barrels.
Jackson shares, “French oak has a tighter grain than American oak. It’s going to smooth out some of the ‘harsh edges’ of the whiskey to make it more suitable for sipping neat. French oak also imparts ‘smoke,’ which was another flavor note that women in our survey said they wanted to have.”
Jackson stresses the important role wood plays in imparting flavor as the whiskey is “rested” in the barrels. Resting Jackson McCrea Rye Whiskey in French oak barrels that previously held syrah wine (a red wine with a slightly peppery flavor) also results in leveling up the spiciness of the rye.
“Syrah is an intense, earthy wine, and we thought that would give the flavor a richness. It also gave our whiskey a slightly red hue that’s kind of cool,” offers Jackson, a member of the women-led advisory for La Cienega Vineyard in Sonoma’s acclaimed Alexander Valley.
“We brought in the wine [element in the barrels] because our love for wine is part of the Jackson McCrea story. We’re big wine geeks.
Debuting Jackson McCrea Rye Whiskey
Jackson McCrea Rye Whiskey made its debut in October 2023, about three years from the time the entrepreneurs discovered their mutual love of whiskey to bringing it to market.
Distributed in California and available via e-commerce in more than 40 states, a bottle of Jackson McCrea Rye Whiskey (750ml) costs about $78. The entrepreneurs have carefully thought out every detail to inspire the senses, including the packaging.
The slender glass bottle features a translucent ombre-shaded label with hues of gold, orange and blue melting into each other, allowing for the visual effect of a California sunset over the ocean as the rose-tinted whiskey is poured.
A Celebration of the Senses
Other than the gorgeous packaging, Jackson McCrea Rye Whiskey is foremost a celebration of the whiskey and the women who drink it.
“Women have a different experience of whiskey. Our olfactory bulbs are 43 times the size that of men’s, so we experience whiskey differently and that experience begins as soon as the aroma hits your nose,” Jackson shares.
“I like foods and drinks that create a party in your mouth. I think Jackson McCrea Rye Whiskey does that,” affirms McCrea. “It’s definitely an experience. From the moment you smell our whiskey, you have an experience because we’re giving those amazing notes of caramel, smoke, vanilla, spice and it’s smooth…I savor that moment of inhaling it before I taste.”
Making A Social Impact
Beyond crafting an amazing premium whiskey, this entrepreneurial duo wants to create social impact with their young company. “We are both about empowering women. Our careers are dedicated to that, and we bring our whole selves to this business,” says Jackson, whose career as an award-winning producer (known for her all-female crews) and role as the host of The Good CEO podcast aims to showcase and elevate women.
In that spirit, the business duo formed The JM 100, the company’s social impact advisory. The collective is made up of women leaders who help shape and steer the direction of Jackson McCrea’s social impact mandate to lead a self-care revolution.
Jackson points out, “Our goal is to grow our advisory to 100 women who are leader-disruptors in their own industries. They’re standing with us, with Jackson McCrea, to make sure women are seen and that women drink in good health with a focus on wholeness, fitness and self-care.”
More Than Just Whiskey
“At the end of the day, we are more than a whiskey. We’re a movement. And with Sheila’s work that she’s done with social impact, it only makes sense to think about that at the beginning of our business journey,” says McCrea, whose background includes a coaching practice that helps women find peace, pleasure and success via the Love Intelligence Method that she developed.
“Our advisory consists of women who want to support other women and pave the way for other women to step into their greatness.”
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Going Beyond Whiskey For Women
While the co-founders of Jackson McCrea have crafted a premium product tailored to deliver what women want in a whiskey, both continue to tend to interests and entrepreneurial endeavors that celebrate women beyond the spirits industry.
Jackson affirms, “We’re both career entrepreneurs, and I know I don’t look at my work in terms of ‘full-time’ and ‘part-time.’ It’s all about doing what needs to be done, for everything; from my production company to my writing and for Jackson McCrea Rye Whiskey—it’s 100 percent in for me.”
Business partner McCrea nods in agreement, noting, “I’m designing the life that I want. Years ago, I was always forced to compartmentalize my worlds. So I’ve decided to honor all the things I want to do, every dream that I have—and bring it into fruition.”
With a vision and energy dedicated to making things happen, it’s no wonder the co-CEOs of Jackson McCrea are moving forward while empowering women along the way.
For signature Jackson McCrea cocktails, whiskey-infused cuisine, and a little education to elevate your whiskey game, visit Jackson McCrea Rye Whiskey online.
