Chemist Spirits is an artisan Prohibition-era distillery in the heart of downtown Asheville, N.C. It was founded by Debbie Word and her daughter, Danielle Donaldson, who is a chemist by training.
Word is one of the few female distillery founders in the United States. According to industry data, less than 19% of American distillers are female and only 2% of distilleries are owned by women. Word and Donaldson aim to challenge the industry norm by growing their business and mentoring other women and minority groups in the distilling profession.
“Our goal is to help more women and people of color to join the distilling community to make it stronger and more inclusive,” says Word, who hosts women’s entrepreneurial events at Chemist Spirits and is a member of the Distilled Spirits Council. “We plan to use the spotlight as the official gin of the Daytime Emmy Awards to help advance this conversation on the national stage.”