Australian Women in Wine (AWIW) has re-released a second batch of its gin, Hear me roar, with 100 per cent of the profits going to support women to thrive and succeed in the wine industry.
The first batch, released in 2022, was a sell-out success, and this latest release is available for purchase on the AWIW website.
The brand name references Helen Reddy’s iconic 1971 song and its subsequent use as a rallying cry for change. As with the AWIW’s 2019 release of hear me roar Shiraz and the first batch of hear me roar gin, all proceeds from the sale of this gin will go towards programs and professional development for women in the Australian wine industry.
Gender inequality is a serious issue in the wine industry, with women making up just 30 percent of professionals across all areas of the industry. At senior levels this drops to less than 10 per cent and in production roles such as winemaking it is 17 per cent.
Potential recipes were submitted by women from across the wine industry, with the final ingredients determined by a vote. The 2023 hear me roar gin is infused with blackcurrant leaf, native fingerleaf and Tasmanian pepperberry, following a suggestion from Tracy Taylor of Tasmania’s Southwood Vineyards.
The gin was produced by Rebekah Richardson, winemaker, AWIWA board member and owner/distiller of Lucid Distilling. Richardson expressed her excitement about making the gin.
“We have been absolutely blown away by the wine industry’s support of the Hear Me Roar project. The gin was a little left of center, given that we are women in wine, but we know that most of us love a good gin and it was nice to do something different. We’ve brought it back by popular demand,” she said.
The entire hear me roar project was supported by industry donations from companies including Denomination Design, Saverglass, Closure Pak, CCL, Lucid Distilling and The Fabulous Ladies’ Wine Society.
