When the alcohol industry comes up in discussion, most people mentally flash to an image of a stodgy male distiller or a mustachioed barkeep throwing together a mix of bitters and booze at a bar.
Nick Bumgardner
Carrie Drury and April Wideman
“There’s a perception that the spirits industry is dominated by males,” says Carrie Drury, owner of Harvest Beverage Company.
“But we’re learning that there are just as many—if not more—female consumers, and that’s starting to be represented in some incredibly talented purveyors, executives, winemakers, master distillers, and brand ambassadors.”
Drury and co-owner April Wideman are proof of that very notion. Harvest Beverage Company, their Franklin-based boutique premium wine and spirits distributing company, has been introducing Tennessee to wine and spirit brands that veer off the beaten path for more than 10 years.
The company was the brainchild of Drury’s father, Ralph Drury. For 30 years, he and his wife made pilgrimages to California’s various wine regions for A Vintage Affair, the nonprofit he founded to support women and children in Williamson County.
It was on one of those trips that an idea for a new business was born.
“My dad got to know the vintners, winemakers, and the families who produced the juice—these were mom-and-pop wineries that didn’t have big representation,” explains Drury. “Being the forever dreamer and entrepreneur, he wanted their craft and stories to be represented in Tennessee. He hand-picked each winery and grew a portfolio of 25 brands.”
Today, Drury and Wideman have expanded the scope of Harvest Beverage to include the budding world of craft spirits. But they’re not interested in the liquor industry juggernauts—they’re focused on small-batch brands and the people producing them.
“We started as a boutique wine business, but there are 600,000 labels out there, and wine is now sold in grocery stores, so the market has changed over the last decade,” says Drury. “We wanted to grow our portfolio to include spirits with that same ethos.”
Nick Bumgardner
It was that vision that attracted the woman-owned Vinos y Licores Azteca Distillery in the Highlands region of Jalisco, Mexico. Recently, they selected Harvest Beverage to help them bring their tequila to Middle Tennessee. But the distillery is also breaking with industry tradition: They’re striving to provide women with the opportunity to build a steady career in the art of crafting premium tequila. It’s a mission that’s reflected in the product’s name, Vikera, an ode to the spirit and determination of female Vikings.
“Vikera was the first and last tasting we did, because it was phenomenal, and we loved the fact that they are 100-percent woman-owned and provide a platform for women and other marginalized groups to feel empowered in the industry,” says Drury. “We felt that Harvest and Vikera were perfect for each other.”