Sheila Jackson and Natasha McCrea of California have become the first black women to own a whiskey brand, making history.
According to reports, the two ladies are the first black female business owners in the state of California to own a whiskey brand.
The creators’ idea was inspired by a 2020 dinner discussion in which they became friends over a mutual love of whiskey.
At that point, they realized they could establish themselves in the market by starting a business together.
“Women are big fans of whiskey, but we’re never brought up in conversations about it,” McCrea is said to have stated in a Canvas Rebel interview.
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“We discussed the increasing sales of whiskey and how both of us had considered launching a whiskey company. We determined then and there that we ought to be the ladies who upend an entire industry. Jackson McCrea was introduced in 2022.”
The two founders combine their prior professional backgrounds in several industries.
Jackson hosts the “The Good CEO” podcast, where she speaks with “bold, unapologetic CEOs,” and she runs a production firm that supports black women.
In an interview with Forbes, she stated: “My entire career has been about empowering women, elevating our stories, and expanding our voice.”
According to McCrea’s statement to Forbes, “owning a whiskey brand aligns with my ethos and coaching principles of designing the life I want.”
Jackson McCrea Rye Whiskey
According to the company’s website, Jackson McCrea offers premium rye whiskey – a 5-year-old Tennessee Rye that has been aged in French oak Syrah wine barrels in California.
“Each of us is a mother to two incredible young people. The hardest job you will ever enjoy is being a mother. Creating a new whiskey brand is similar to that. We tasted, graded, and tasted some more. We then repeatedly sampled the outcomes of our feedback and our recipe was born! We even tasted our new recipe alongside some of our favorite brands, and it stands strong”, the company mentioned on Instagram.
