WOMEN AND WHISKEY

Once seen as a drink only for men, women are getting into whiskey in a big way these days. According to Forbes, women currently account for 37 percent of whiskey drinkers, up from 15 percent in the 1990s.

Not only are more women drinking whiskey, but more women are making it too. Koval is a Chicago-based brand started by Dr. Sonat Birnecker Hart and her husband. Uncle Nearest is led by an all-female team, including the first Black woman to head up a major spirits brand, Fawn Weaver.

As more women try whiskey, one woman wants to make sure they have a safe space to sip. Julia Ritz Toffoli started Women Who Whiskey in 2011 to allow women to enjoy and learn about whiskey in a gender-inclusive environment. “We need to be able to feel comfortable drinking whiskey in our own city. So why don’t we get together and do that?” she said in an interview. Today, they have grown to over 16,000 members, with 24 chapters in 5 countries. To learn more or find a chapter near you, visit www. womenwhowhiskey.club.

Whiskey comes in several varieties which can be intimidating for a beginner. If you want to try, but don’t know where to start, here’s some Whiskey 101 to help you decide which is right for you:

Canadian Whisky is lighter and smoother than other varieties, making it a great place for beginners to start. Popular brands include: Crown Royal, Canadian Mist

As the name implies, Scotch is a whiskey made in Scotland. It is made with water, malted barley, yeast, and caramel and aged in oak barrels. Although it comes in a variety of flavors, most have a smoky, malty taste. Popular brands include: Johnnie Walker, Macallan The Japanese drop the “e” in whiskey like the Canadians, but they learned their craft from Scottish distillers, which explains why it has a similar smoky taste as Scotch. Popular brands include: Suntory

Bourbon is made with at least 51 percent corn. The rest is a combination of malted barley and either rye or wheat. Bourbon also comes in a variety of flavors, but it tends to have a sweet and smoky taste. Popular brands include: Maker’s Mark, Jim Beam

Tennessee whiskey is similar to bourbon, except it is made in Tennessee and goes through an extra charcoal filtering process that removes impurities. Tennessee whiskey is often described as lighter than bourbon with a slightly sweeter taste. Popular brands include: Jack Daniels

Good whiskey can be enjoyed neat (without water or ice) or with a few ice cubes. But if you’re looking for something with a little more flavor, check out these recipes for deliciously simple whiskey cocktails:

Ginger Highball 2 ounces of any type of whiskey 2-3 ounces ginger ale 3 lemon slices Add lemon slices and ice to the bottom of the glass. Top with whiskey and ginger ale.

Mint Julep 5 mint sprigs ½ ounce simple syrup 2½ ounces bourbon Muddle mint with syrup at the bottom of the glass. Fill the glass with ice, add bourbon, and stir.

SUBCONTRACTOR YOU SHOULD

KNOW: TRACEY BEY

Chicago native Tracey Bey loves making homes look beautiful. “I love seeing things come to finish and what makes them look pretty,” she says. Her company, T2 Finishes, puts the finishing details on real estate renovation and development projects, installing cabinets, flooring, baseboards, and more. “Anything that comes through once you get the walls up and have them drywalled,” she says. We spoke with

Bey about how she has been able to find success doing what she loves in an industry that is not always welcoming to Black women.

Bey found herself in the banking industry after college. She was part of a team that established Bank of America branches in Chicago-area Jewel stores. But it was her work in participation syndication loans that first got her interested

in real estate. “I saw people who were rehabbing houses and started rehabbing myself,” Bey says. Twenty years later, she’s still at it.

Like most of the construction industry, people of color are hard to find in finishing. “There are no Black people and no Black companies. Our biggest competitor is an Asian company,” Bey says. But she’s not waiting for an invitation to fill a minority hiring quota. Instead, she’s carving out her own lane and letting her work speak for itself. “As a Black woman, I check a couple of those boxes. But I’m not allowing them to use me for their numbers,” she says. That determination has helped Bey forge relationships with general contractors and learn about potential bidding opportunities. “I don’t want you just to add me to the list because I’m a Black company,” she says. Although T2 Finishes works with residential customers, Bey has also set her sights on landing commercial and mixed-use property projects around the city. She recently won a bid to supply cabinets for a CHA project at 508 Pershing.

When it comes to work-life balance, Bey says work often wins out. In addition to T2 Finishes, she and her fiancé manage several companies, which demand a lot of their time. But as someone who likes being busy, Bey says she wouldn’t have it any other way. “I’m trying to learn not to take work home so much. We just make sure we take time out for each other, like going out to dinner and having date nights,” she says.

Bey advises other women of color who are interested in finishing to be strong and look for ways to make themselves stand out. And in an industry that is all about who you know, Bey says having a mentor can make all of the difference. “Go to every networking event and meet everybody you can,” she says. “Solid connections can help you stay on top of bid opportunities.” She also tries to help open doors for others when she can. “I know how to fight, and I like to fight. All you can say is no. But I’m going to ask you to explain why you’re saying no,” she says.

Bey says she’s thankful that her business allows her to do what she loves, employ other people, and help rebuild communities on the South and West sides of the city. “Driving past the buildings we are working on, knowing our cabinets and floors are going in, gives me pride,” she says.