Rum and International Women’s Day – Joy Spence is the First Female Master Blender

Joy Spence from Appleton Rum is the first female Master Blender in the spirits industry – a true pioneer and celebrated trailblazer in a male dominated field. With a 40-year career legacy, Joy is a champion for advancing women and dedicated to leading Appleton into the future supporting diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Women in the Spirits Industry – The Future is Now

Did you know? Women can have genetically superior nosing and tasting skills – a well-known fact in the global spirits industry – yet women are still in the minority!

Joy Spence knows first-hand how important women are to the future of the spirits industry, offering these tips for women interested in following in her footsteps:

“To become a Master Blender, first you should have an excellent knowledge of chemistry and excellent sensory skills. Become a sponge for technical knowledge.”

“Stay positive and channel any negativity as a sounding board for improvement. Throughout my career I was able to use my learning experiences to help other women in the industry realize their full potential.”

“I had several challenges along the way – staying focused on your knowledge and dedication to the craft is key.”

Joy has been at the forefront of developing some of the world’s best-in-class rums – and has been officially recognized by the Jamaican Government for her contributions to the rum craft and representing Jamaican excellence.

In life as in the art of rum, joy is the key to achieving excellence.*

Sine 1749, this part of the Jamaican spirit has been the soul of rum production at Appleton Estate and in 1981 it also became its beating heart with Dr. Joy Spence.

In 1997 Joy became the first female Master Blender in the spirits industry, an amazing milestone for women across the world.

Since then, she created many of the blends that made Appleton Estate famous, including the 8 Year Old Reserve and the limited edition 50 Year Old, believed to be the oldest tropically minimum aged run available for sale in the world.

In 2014 Joy received an Honourary Doctorate from the University of the West Indies. “That’s why we say “Crafted with Joy”, we’re fortunate to recognize both the spirit of Jamaican people infused in our rum and Our Master Blender’s years of expertise with Appleton Estate.”

“We are bold people, we’re passionate, rum is an expression of that culture” Joy Spence

Joy Spence Appleton Estate Experience

Named in honour of our Master Blender, our Visitor Centre is a multi-sensory journey to discover the unique essence of Jamaican rum.

Information provided by Michaela Kelly, HK Strategies, additional information (*) courtesy of the Appleton website.