History has been made by Sheila Jackson and Natasha McCrea: they are reportedly the first Black female entrepreneurs to own a whiskey brand in California.
The founders’ vision was born out of a dinner conversation in 2020, when they bonded over a shared interest in whiskey. It was then that they came to the understanding that by starting a business together, they could make a name for themselves in the industry.
“…There are a lot of women who love whiskey, but we’re not a part of that conversation,” McCrea said in an interview with Canvas Rebel. “We talked about how whiskey sales are on the rise and how we were thinking about starting a whiskey brand, and in that moment we decided that we had to be the women that were going to shake up the whole industry.”
In 2022, Jackson McCrea was founded. The two founders bring together their career experiences from different fields: Jackson heads a production company that empowers Black women and hosts The Good CEO, a podcast that talks to “bold and uncompromising CEOs.”
“My entire career has been focused on empowering women, elevating our stories and amplifying our voices,” she said in an interview with Forbes.
McCrea works as a life coach and heads the Love CEO Institute, which is described as “a mecca for ambitious women to discover the joys of living their best life,” according to her Instagram page.
“Owning a whiskey brand aligns with my beliefs and coaching principles of designing the life I want,” McCrea told Forbes.
Jackson McCrea Rye Whiskey
For details on the products offered by the company, please see JAxon McCrea sells premium rye whiskey. The five-year-old Tennessee Rye was aged in French oak Syrah wine barrels in California, according to the company’s website.
“We’re both mothers, to two amazing kids. Motherhood is the hardest job in life. Launching a new whiskey brand is no different. We tasted and evaluated time and time again. Then we tasted the results of the feedback. And our recipe was born! We tasted our new recipe alongside some of our favorite brands and it tastes amazing,” the company said on Instagram.
The nonprofit’s director and publisher, Krista Parnell, supported the founders’ work in the spirits industry so far, telling Forbes:
“What Sheila and Natasha have brought to the whisky industry is incredible. With their passion, creativity, talent and tenacity, they are changing the face of a traditionally male-dominated industry. Their rye-based whiskies are well-balanced, smooth and have a flavour profile that appeals to the sophisticated female whisky drinker.”
